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Syndication

Part 3 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1986. I've also got music from Los Campesinos!, The Fresh & Onlys and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart.

Show notes:

- Recorded via Skype

- Check out Brian's comics podcast The Hour Cosmic

- Brian's #3

- Feelies' second album was very influential

- Jay's #3

- R.E.M. debuts heavier guitar sound

- Band kept going too long

- Brian's #2

- They Might Be Giants got off to great start

- Lots of NJ love

- Jay's #2

- Husker Du's amazing stretch

- '80s production techniques hurt some great albums

- Grant Hart dominated Candy Apple Grey

- Brian's #1

- Camper Van Beethoven released two albums in '86

- Jay's #1

- '86 was the year of thrash

- Metallica at their best

- Drawbacks to sound fidelity with MP3, but convenience is worth it

- Hair metal also thrived in '86

- Next up: 1989

 

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

 

Music:

Los Campesinos! - Little Mouth

The Fresh & Onlys - Animal of One

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Simple and Sure

 

The Los Campesinos! song is on the soundtrack to the movie Benny and Jolene. Download the song for free from Stereogum.

The Fresh & Onlys song is on the album House of Spirits on Mexican Summer Records. Download the song for free from KEXP.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart song is on the album Days of Abandon on Yebo. Download the song for free from KEXP.

 

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.
Direct download: CompCon_331_061014.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 8:07am EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1986. I've also got music from Superchunk, Bottomless Pit and Lazy.

Show notes:

- Recorded via Skype

- Check out Brian's comics podcast The Hour Cosmic

- Sammy Hagar's lyrical prowess

- Sam Halen?

- Jay: Saw VH and DLR touring separately in summer of '86

- The sad tale of Jason Becker

- Amnesty International's Conspiracy of Hope tour featured U2, Peter Gabriel, Sting

- Led to ill-fated Police reunion

- Bands that formed or released debut albums in '86: NWA, 2 Live Crew, Buffalo Tom, Pixies, Throwing Muses, Goo Goo Dolls, Firehose, Big Audio Dynamite

- A comeback of sorts for Neil Young

- Ramones album was plagued by bad '80s production

- Jay was conflicted about XTC's "Dear God"

- Brian's #5 album

- Jonathan Richman's mostly under the radar career path

- Jay's #5

- Eat 'Em and Smile out-Van Halened Van Halen

- Brian's #4

- Mark Sandman's pre-Morphine act, Treat Her Right, released debut

- Jay's #4

- John Lydon put together a crack session band including Steve Vai and came up with a great album

- Lydon was set to tour in Jesus Christ Superstar but show was cancelled

- To be continued...

 

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

 

Music:

Superchunk - Untied (live)

Bottomless Pit - Fleece (live)

Lazy - Party City (live)

 

The Superchunk song is part of the band's Epitonic Saki Session. Download the set for free at Epitonic.

The Bottomless Pit song is part of the band's Epitonic Saki Session. Download the set for free at Epitonic.

The Lazy song is part of the band's Epitonic Saki Session. Download the set for free at Epitonic.

 

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.
Direct download: CompCon_330_060314.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 8:22pm EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1986. I've also got music from Fucked Up, Mudhoney and Two Inch Astronaut.

Show notes:

- Recorded via Skype

- Check out Brian's comics podcast The Hour Cosmic

- Brian was 4 in '86; Jay was (cough) 18 and in college

- Jay: Watched a lot of MTV that year

- Brian: Paul Simon's Graceland was huge

- Peter Gabriel became a megastar

- Van Halen and David Lee Roth split up and released albums

- Brian: Musically, 1986 was all over the place

- Nine of the top 10 selling albums were released in '85

- Album sales were enormous back then

- The Bangles hit big with "Walk Like an Egyptian"

- Springsteen's Live 1975-85 was a big box set release

- First year of Rock Hall of Fame

- Rush and KISS were shocking admissions to Rock Hall in recent years

- Hair metal was thriving; even Judas Priest poofed up their hair

- Hip hop hit hard: Beasties and Run DMC made big impressions

- Aerosmith's career was revived thanks to Run DMC

- Brian: Worst moments include band breakups (Black Flag, Minutemen, Smiths, Dead Kennedys)

- "That's What Friends Are For": Great cause, awful song

- Lionel Richie went from cool in the Commodores to cheesy

- Deaths: Phil Lynott, Richard Manuel, Cliff Burton, Benny Goodman, Scatman Crothers

- Boston's long-awaited third album

- The Vinnie Vincent Invasion took hair metal to ridiculous extremes

- Wank guitar was all the rage

- To be continued...

 

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

 

Music:

Fucked Up - Paper the House

Mudhoney - Touch Me I'm Sick (live)

Two Inch Astronaut - Part of Your Scene (live on WVAU)

 

The Fucked Up song is on the album Glass Boys on Matador Records. Download the song for free at Matablog.

The Mudhoney song is on the EP Mudhoney on Top! KEXP Presents Mudhoney Live on Top of the Space Needle. Download the song for free at KEXP.

The Two Inch Astronaut song is available for free download (in exchange for your email address) as part of Exploding in Sound's EIS Sampler 2013-2014 on Bandcamp

 

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.
Direct download: CompCon_329_052714.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 6:33pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Matt Phillion as we discuss hipsters. I've also got music from Twin Peaks, Feral Jenny and Ancient Babes.

Show notes:

- Matt recently became a published author

- Check out his YA superhero novel The Indestructibles

- Matt: The definition of cool is not trying too hard

- Shopping is simple if you don't care about trends

- WTF is up with skinny jeans?

- Changing office dress codes

- Matt's office phobia

- Hippies turned into yuppies

- Aging well

- Bronies are hipsters who have gone too far

- The life cycle of a hipster

- Matt lived in Hipster Ground Zero for a while

- Saw early signs of the hipster look a decade ago

- The seamy underside of politics

- You need a lack of self-awareness to run for office

- Some employers seem to want mindless worker drones

- Conclusion: We're not hipsters

 

Music:

Twin Peaks - Flavor

Feral Jenny - Tearless Creep

Ancient Babes - What Mean Expendable?

 

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Twin Peaks song is on the album Sunken. Download the album for free from Noisetrade.

The Feral Jenny song is on the EP Sylvia Songs. Download the EP for free from Bandcamp.

The Ancient Babes song is available for free download on Soundcloud.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Direct download: CompCon_328_052014.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 6:51pm EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Matt Phillion as we discuss the scourge of hipsterism. I've also got music from Bob Mould, The Hold Steady and The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.

Show notes:

- Matt recently became a published author

- Check out his YA superhero novel The Indestructibles

- Vin Diesel, businessman

- The brilliance of True Detective

- Hipsters: Is there a cutoff age?

- '90s hipsters were into the grunge look

- The mysterious allure of Mumford and Sons

- Hipsters love shitty beer

- Going to an effort to not look attractive

- Of beards and men

- Tattoos are trendy

- The Beatles set the trends of their day

- Where does it go from here?

- For a few years in the late '90s, it was nu metal and baggy pants

- We're all about the low-maintenance wardrobe

- Hair today, gone tomorrow

- To be continued

 

Music:

Bob Mould - Hey Mr. Grey

The Hold Steady - Spinners

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - She's On It/Jack the Ripper (live)

 

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Bob Mould song is on the forthcoming album Beauty & Ruin on Merge Records. Download the song for free from KEXP.

The Hold Steady song is on the album Teeth Dreams on Washington Square/Razor and Tie. Download the song for free from KEXP.

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion song is available for free download on Bandcamp.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Direct download: CompCon_327_051314.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 8:42pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Ric Dube as we dissect the strange connections of '70s-era pop hitmakers. I've also got music from Deerhoof, Fat History Month and The Baseball Project.

Show notes:

- Recorded at More Lost Time world HQ

- Christopher Cross' surprisingly long career

- Producer Michael Omartian was in disco act Rhythm Heritage, which released the #1 hit "Theme from S.W.A.T." in 1976

- Also did theme from Baretta

- Steve Barry formed Rhythm Heritage with Omartian

- Barry produced Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods

- Ric plans his funk album

- Sammy Davis Jr. sang the Baretta theme

- "Billy, Don't Be a Hero" was big hit for Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods

- Ric's unsealed Bo Donaldson record

- First discovered while touring with the Osmonds

- The sadness of the 1970s package tour

- The Osmonds actually had a few cool songs

- "Hold Her Tight" was a Zeppelin sound-alike

- Recorded during their "rock" phase, which didn't last long

- Donny and Marie were the big moneymakers

- Donny Osmond had a few hits in 1989

- His mid-'70s song "C'mon Marianne" was much better

 

Music:

Deerhoof - Milk Man

Fat History Month - Angel From Montgomery

The Baseball Project - To the Veterans Committee

 

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Deerhoof song is on the Kill Rock Stars compilation Crazed MP3 Fans Vol. 1. Download the comp for free at Bandcamp.

The Fat History Month song is on Exploding in Sound's EIS Sampler 2013-2014 on Bandcamp.

The Baseball Project song is on Yep Roc in Austin: On Spider's Tab. Download the comp for free at Noisetrade.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Direct download: CompCon_326_050614.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 8:19pm EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Ric Dube as we try to figure out how Christopher Cross became a pop star. I've also got music from Bedroom Eyes, Hymnals and Kinski.

Show notes:

- Recorded in at More Lost Time world HQ

- All about the shrews in Shrewsbury

- Record fairs are back

- Where did Christopher Cross come from?

- Went from San Antonio cover band to stardom

- Produced by Michael Omartian

- Omartian worked with lots of big artists, including Rod Stewart and Donna Summer

- Lots of big names helped out on Cross' debut: Henley, Michael McDonald, Nicolette Larson

- Cross didn't have a particularly great voice

- Jay's Christopher Cross album

- Pre-MTV fame

- First single was "Ride Like the Wind," second was "Sailing"

- Theme from Arthur was his biggest hit

- Couldn't escape it on the radio for a while

- Ric: Played plenty of music like this at Strawberries

- "Think of Laura" was written for General Hospital

- To be continued

 

Music:

Bedroom Eyes - Wild Sins

Hymnals - When You're Away

Kinski - Conflict Free Diamonds

 

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Bedroom Eyes song is a single available for free at Bandcamp.

The Hymnals song is a single available for free at Bandcamp.

The Kinski song is on the Kill Rock Stars compilation Crazed MP3 Fans Vol. 1. Download the comp for free at Bandcamp.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Direct download: CompCon_325_042914.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 8:21pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest James Gralian as we discuss the future of podcasting. I've also got music from Courtney Barnett, What Moon Things and Mattress Financial.

Show notes:

- Recorded via Skype

- Check out James' show The Avs Hockey Podcast

- Old media (radio, newspapers) is struggling

- Radio stations need to think differently

- Boston was once a great radio town

- College radio is still going

- Jay: Playing DJ on BFF.fm

- Apple helped grow podcasting with iTunes

- Talk radio is still popular

- James' podcast has nothing to do with sports talk radio

- Mo' money, mo' problems

- Everything revolves around smartphones

- Podcasting is about as DIY as it gets

- Still having fun with it

- James: There will be massive dropoff in conventional podcasts

- Hard to keep up with all the shows

- Similar to the amount of good TV out there

- This American Life was originally rejected by NPR, went to PRI

- It's not about SEO, it's about making good shows

 

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

 

Music:

Courtney Barnett - Avant Gardener

What Moon Things - Astronaut

Mattress Financial - I Do That Good

 

The Courtney Barnett song is on The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas on Milk! Records. Download the song for free at Amazon MP3.

The What Moon Things song is on the band's self-titled album. Download the song for free at Soundcloud.

The Mattress Financial is on the Mattress Financial/Fond Han single Private Split. Download the song for free (in exchange for your email address) as part of Exploding in Sound's EIS Sampler 2013-2014 on Bandcamp.

 

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.
Direct download: CompCon_324_041514.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 5:53pm EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guest James Gralian as we discuss the future of podcasting. I've also got music from Mean Creek, Foxy Shazam and Nothing.

Show notes:

- Recorded via Skype

- Check out James' show The Avs Hockey Podcast

- Also produces podcast for Denver Symphony Orchestra

- We last spoke on this topic four years ago

- 10th anniversary of podcasting

- Tools are more accessible than ever

- James: Don't see as many quality podcasts as I expected

- Apple has played big role, positive and negative

- James listens to Radiolab, Welcome to Nightvale, Definitely Not the Opera, 99% Invisible, among other podcasts

- There are many "two white guys talking" podcasts

- Waiting for the next interesting thing

- Most podcasters aren't in it for the money

- James: Not sure whether sponsors are getting a good return

- Trying to have fun and be creative with Avs Hockey Podcast

- Professional podcasters vs. hobbyists

- Marc Maron is a podcasting success story; turned his entire career around

- Commercial radio is much less interesting these days

- Parallels with late night TV and Letterman's retirement

- More freedom on basic cable for Stewart and Colbert

- Are podcasters using their voice?

- Having guests can bring new energy to a show

- What constitutes success in podcasting?

- To be continued

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

 

Music:

Mean Creek - Johnny Allen

Foxy Shazam - Brutal Truth

Nothing - Bent Nail

 

The Mean Creek song is on the album Local Losers on Old Flame Records. Download the song for free at Soundcloud.

The Foxy Shazam song is on the self-released album Gonzo. Download the album for free (in exchange for your email address) at Noisetrade.

The song by Nothing is on the album Guilty of Everything on Relapse Records. Download the song for free at Amazon.

 

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.
Direct download: CompCon_323_040814.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 8:38pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1984. I've also got music from Hallelujah the Hills, Feral Jenny and Red Sea.

Show notes:

- Recorded via Skype

- Check out Brian's comics podcast The Hour Cosmic

- Brian's #5

- Pretenders are very underrated

- Chrissie Hynde got a late start in rock

- Jay's #5

- Saw R.E.M.'s first national TV appearance on Letterman

- Brian's #4

- Minutemen covered a wide range of styles

- Mike Watt's interesting career

- Scott Asheton, R.I.P.

- James Williamson went from playing with Iggy to become a Silicon Valley exec

- Jay's #4

- Van Halen inadvertently helped create hair metal

- Brian's #3

- Meat Puppets created a unique sound

- Most people became aware of them a decade later

- Jay's #3

- Replacements' sound evolved from punk to more mature rock

- Brian's #2 was his #1 when we started talking

- Jay's #2

- Husker Du was coming into its own in '84

- So much good music on SST in the early to mid-'80s

- Brian's #1

- Gordon Gano wrote first two Violent Femmes albums while in high school

- Serious gospel undertones

- Jay's #1

- Purple Rain was a masterpiece

- Jay chronicled 1984 in a diary reprinted on Kumar's Blizznog

- Next up: 1986

 

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

 

Music:

Hallelujah the Hills - Pick Up an Old Phone

Feral Jenny - Law & Order

Red Sea - Down with the Crown

 

The Hallelujah the Hills song is on the album Have You Ever Done Something Evil? on Discrete Pageantry. Download the song for free at Stereogum.

The Feral Jenny song is on the EP Bedrooms. Download the song for free at Bandcamp.

The Red Sea song is on the EP Yardsticks for Human Intelligence. Download the song for free at Bandcamp.

 

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.
Direct download: CompCon_322_040114.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 6:39pm EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1984. I've also got music from Nancy, Benjamin Shaw and The Men.

Show notes:

- Recorded via Skype

- Check out Brian's comics podcast The Hour Cosmic

- 1984: Brian was 2, Jay was 16

- A pivotal year for college/indie rock

- Husker Du, R.E.M., Minutemen, Meat Puppets, Replacements

- Aerosmith reformed, Yes bounced back

- Classic lineup of Deep Purple reunited

- The '80s wank guitar movement started with Yngwie Malmsteen

- Early days of hip hop, thrash

- Hair metal was emerging as a commercial force: Ratt, Twisted Sister, Dokken, Whitesnake, Bon Jovi

- Van Halen's 1984 was huge

- Eddie VH embraced synths

- The beginning of the end of the Roth era of VH

- MTV was a bigger hitmaker than radio

- The middle of a bad stretch for Paul McCartney

- Older artists rebounded: Kool and the Gang, Chicago, Stevie Wonder

- Miami Vice incorporated MTV-style techniques

- The video as movie trailer

- Death of Marvin Gaye

- Billy Squier's "Rock Me Tonite" debacle

- The negative power of a bad video

- Crappy solo work from Bowie, Billy Joel, Steve Perry

- Don Henley sucks

- The pop and marketing genius of Madonna

- Awesomely bad breakdance movies: Breakin', Body Rock, Beat Street

- Brian's albums outside top 5: Black Flag, Queen

- Jay: U2, The Cars, Rush, INXS, The Cult

- To be continued

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

 

Music:

Nancy - I Want One

Benjamin Shaw - Goodbye, Kagoul World

The Men - Different Days

 

The Nancy song is on the album Nancy LP. Download the album for free at Bandcamp.

The Benjamin Shaw song is on the album Goodbye Cagoule World on Audio Antihero. Download the song for free at Soundcloud.

The song by The Men is on the album Tomorrow's Hits on Sacred Bones Records. Download the song for free at Soundcloud.

 

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.
Direct download: CompCon_321_032514.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 7:24pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Matt Phillion as we discuss whether the world is getting dumber. I've also got music from Johnny Foreigner, Spray Paint and Pampers.

Show notes:

- Guy got fired after calling in sick and then posting video on YouTube

- Another guy made it with a cow and had a buddy film it

- Reality TV rewards dumbasses

- It's a lazy Buzzfeed world

- Beard transplants? Really?

- Pre-ripped jeans

- There's still good rock music out there

- In praise of Mark Knopfler

- Bravo, dude who came up with Shit My Dad Says

- Medical bills are obscene

- Selling your old junk

- The bottom fell out of the sports card market

- We fall for stupid memes designed to rile people up

- Outrage culture

- We're all dumb

 

Music:

Johnny Foreigner - Stop Talking About Ghosts

Spray Paint - Spock Fingers

Pampers - Guts

 

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Johnny Foreigner song is on the album You Can Do Better on Alcopop! Records. Download the song for free at Bandcamp.

The Spray Paint and Pampers songs were recorded live on the Cherry Blossom Clinic on WFMU. Download the songs for free at Free Music Archive.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Direct download: CompCon_320_031814.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 8:04pm EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Matt Phillion as we discuss whether the world is getting dumber. I've also got music from Cloud Nothings, Eagulls and The So So Glos.

Show notes:

- There are studies that claim humans are getting dumber

- Our IQs are supposedly dropping

- We rely on smartphones for a lot of information

- We're cramming so much info in our heads

- Smart TV: True Detective did it right

- Disney Channel sitcoms hark back to hacky TV crap of the '70s

- Movie industry favors bigger, louder, dumber

- Sometimes it's good to watch dumb stuff

- Anonymous online comments are a prime source for idiocy

- Wasting time online is so easy

- People are so self-involved

- Reality TV is a haven for dummies

- People will do anything to get on TV

- The Onion keeps fooling people

- Beauty pageants

- Our ability to self-incriminate


Music:

Cloud Nothings - I'm Not Part of Me

Eagulls - Possessed

The So So Glos - Lost Weekend

 

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Cloud Nothings song is on the album Here and Nowhere Else on Carpark Records. The Eagulls song is on the band's self-titled album on Partisan Records. The So So Glos song is on the album Blowout on Votiv Records. Download all three songs for free at NPR.org.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Direct download: CompCon_319_031114.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 9:06pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Ric Dube as we examine music from a couple of forgotten artists from the 1970s. I've also got music from Ovlov, Palehound and Baked.

Show notes:

- Recorded in late January at More Lost Time world HQ

- Edward Bear's prom song

- They were better when they stuck to guitar rock

- Band radically changed their sound

- Ric breaks out a 1971 single by Tom Hartman, formerly of the Aerovons

- Hartman and band when to England because of the Beatles

- Strong resemblance to Sloan's Navy Blues sound

- Ric's tips for finding good vinyl at flea markets

- Aerovons had a serious Beatles fixation

- Very McCartney-esque

- Produced by none other than Mike Post

- Ebay's a good way to get rare vinyl

 

Music:

Ovlov - Moth Rock

Palehound - Holiest

Baked - Danelectroladyland

 

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Ovlov song is on the album am. The Palehound song is on the Kitchen 7-inch. The Baked song is on the EP S/T Cassette. Download all three songs for free (in exchange for your email address) as part of Exploding in Sound's EIS Sampler 2013-2014 on Bandcamp.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Direct download: CompCon_318_030414.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 5:29pm EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Ric Dube as we look at the career of an obscure 1970s Canadian band that had a huge hit and then disappeared. I've also got music from Protomartyr, The Collected Fictions and Cloud Nothings.

Show notes:

- Recorded in late January at More Lost Time world HQ

- What the hell is Edward Bear?

- Named after character in Winnie the Pooh

- Their one big hit, "Last Song," is instantly recognizable

- Sounds like a studio act

- No high or low end in '70s AM pop hits

- Manilow had great timing

- Second single from that album hit top 40

- Singer Larry Evoy was the one constant member of the band

- Opened for Led Zeppelin in '69

- First album had a psychedelic "acid rock" sound

- Geddy Lee's mellower uncle

- Going for a Canned Heat/Steve Miller Band/Doors vibe

- Endless jamming

- Early Edward Bear ain't half bad

- Opportunistic band, like The Police

- Riding whatever music wave was trending

- To be continued

 

Music:

Protomartyr - Come & See

The Collected Fictions - It Don't Matter Much

Cloud Nothings - Didn't You

 

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

 

The Protomartyr song is on the album Under Color of Official Right on Hardly Art. Download the song for free at Stereogum.

The song by The Collected Fictions is on the band's self-titled EP. Download the EP for free (in exchange for your email address) at Bandcamp.

The Cloud Nothings song was released as a single in 2010. Download it for free at Epitonic.

 

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Direct download: CompCon_317_022514.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 7:15pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we dissect the disaster that was Van Halen III.

Show notes:

- Recorded via Skype

- Check out Brian's comics podcast The Hour Cosmic

- Jumping into an 8-minute epic snoozer

- Rumors that the VH brothers had jammed with Ozzy around this time

- Nuno Bettencourt has been touring with Rihanna

- Jay happens to have issue of Guitar World from '98 nearby

- The joys of the Columbia House Record Club

- Michael Anthony's MIA for most of the album

- Eddie compared his singing voice to Roger Waters meets Tom Waits

- DLR says they're working on new VH album for mid-2015

- Brian: VH III was bad in a different way than expected

- Jay: Almost an Adult Contemporary sound

- Jay: Also haven't heard anything from VH's Balance, the last Hagar album

- Record sales from the '90s were ridiculous; nearly everything sold well

- Bizarre cover of Balance was actually PhotoShopped pic of Wolfgang VH

- Putting shitty albums in your iTunes

- The latest VH album was what Aerosmith should do: make a '70s-sounding record

- The comics industry now is where music industry was before Napster

- WWE is getting creative about its content

- Netflix and others are changing the way we consume media

- iPods are being phased out

 

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!


The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.
Direct download: CompCon_316_021814.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 6:05pm EDT

Completely Conspicuous 315: House of Pain

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we dissect the disaster that was Van Halen III.

Show notes:

- Recorded via Skype

- Check out Brian's comics podcast The Hour Cosmic

- An addendum to our look at 1998

- VH III featuring Gary Cherone on lead vocals

- Jay hasn't heard the album, Brian's heard it twice

- Last VH album with Michael Anthony

- Many long songs

- Produced by TV theme composer Mike Post

- Pleasant acoustic instrumental to start album

- Mission statement: We will wuss you

- Cherone sounds a lot like Hagar

- Brian: "Without You" not as bad as I remember

- Eddie needed an editor

- Tough position for Cherone to be in

- EVH played some bass on album

- Restrained drum sound from Alex VH

- Songs drag on way too long

- The "go get a beer" song

- Extreme acquitted themselves well at Freddie Mercury tribute concert

- Mike Post produced artists like Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton

- Severe lack of kickassery

- Jay saw both Van Hagar and DLR in the summer of '86

- Brian saw Pixies recently

- The greatness of Lindsay Buckingham

- To be continued

 

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!


The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.
Direct download: CompCon_315_021114.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 6:09pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1998. I've also got music from Built to Spill, Guillermo Sexo and Bill Janovitz.

Show notes:

- Recorded via Skype

- Check out Brian's comics podcast The Hour Cosmic

- Remember Blues Brothers 2000?

- Goo Goo Dolls went Hollywood

- Brian: QOTSA released its debut

- Rob Halford came out; first prominent metal dude to do so

- In retrospect, '80s heavy metal was steeped in gayness

- Bubbling under albums

- Jay: Fugazi, GVSB, RFTC

- Brian: Elliott Smith, The Catholics, Flin Flon, Tortoise, The Lounge Lizards

- Jay: Pearl Jam, Neutral Milk Hotel, Pulp, Beasties, Tragically Hip, Cat Power

- Brian's #5 album

- Hello Nasty is the last classic Beasties album

- Jay's #5 and Brian's #4

- Beck does a 180 from Odelay

- Later Beck material rehashes older sounds

- Jay's #4

- Afghan Whigs fully embrace soul and R&B

- Greg Dulli can do no wrong

- 1965 was the last Whigs album...until this year

- To be continued

Music:

Built to Spill - Jokerman

Guillermo Sexo - Color the Noise

Bill Janovitz - Matter

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Built to Spill song is on the tribute album Bob Dylan in the '80s: Volume One on ATO Records. Download the song for free (in exchange for your email address) at Stereogum.

The Guillermo Sexo song is a re-recording of an old track available for free at MobtownStudios.com.

The Bill Janovitz song is available for free download on Bandcamp.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.
Direct download: CompCon_313_012814.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 6:13pm EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1998. I've also got music from Johnny Foreigner, Fuzz and The Dismemberment Plan.

Show notes:

- Recorded via Skype

- Check out Brian's comics podcast The Hour Cosmic

- The Pixies' ongoing bass situation

- Brian: Zwan was underrated

- Pixies have become the butt of jokes

- In 1998, Jay was 30, Brian was 16

- We both had just started dating the women we would marry

- In '98, being eclectic became cool

- JK: Was getting into more funk and soul

- Big year for pop

- TRL started in '98

- Lots of one-hit wonders: Eagle Eye Cherry, Chumbawumba, New Radicals

- The New Radicals featured former child actress in band

- JK: Saw Fastball open for Matthew Sweet in a tiny pub in Portland, Maine

- Semisonic's drummer wrote book about the record industry

- The MP3 revolution began in '98 with MP3.com

- MP3.com got sued by the labels before Napster

- BS: Beginning of Latin influence and the height of the short-lived swing dance craze

- The Titanic soundtrack was huge

- Aerosmith had big hit with "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing"

- Pop country was big: Shania Twain, Faith Hill

- Rap metal was a lowlight: Korn, Limp Bizkit, Kid Rock broke through

- Sugar Ray had a DJ named Homicide

- The year of Van Halen III: The Gary Cherone era

- BS paid 8 cents for VHIII

- To be continued

Music:

Johnny Foreigner - Le Sigh

Fuzz - Till the End of the Day

The Dismemberment Plan - The Ice of Boston

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Johnny Foreigner song is on the album You Can Do Better on Alcopop! Records. Download the song for free at Soundcloud.

The Fuzz song is on the 7-inch single L.A.M.C. #10 on Famous Class Records. Download the song for free (in exchange for your email address) at Bandcamp.

The Dismemberment Plan song is on the album The Dismemberment Plan is Terrified on DeSoto Records. Download the song for free (in exchange for your email address) at Noisetrade.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.
Direct download: CompCon_312_012114.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 7:08pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Brian Lewandowski as we discuss his latest bold career move. I've also got music from She Sir, Protomartyr and Red Fang.

Show notes:

- Recorded at BGL HQ

- Sometimes you like the people more than the job

- BL stayed to raise his daughter for a while

- Now situation is different

- The time to restart is now

- Is this all there is?

- Pressure's on to succeed now

- Trying to get disciplined

- The Secret is good for finding parking spaces

- Finding that elusive "dream job"

- Acting is an interesting but difficult pursuit

- Job misery can cause physical pain

- Working overnights

- The future is unwritten

- BL: It's not exactly what I thought it would be

Music:

She Sir - Condensedindents

Protomartyr - Scum, Rise!

Red Fang - Behind the Light

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The She Sir song is on the album Go Guitars on Shelflife Records. Download the song for free at Largehearted Boy.

The Protomartyr song is on the forthcoming album Under Color of Official Right on Hardly Art. Download the song for free at Stereogum.

The Red Fang song is on the album Whales and Leeches on Relapse Records. Download the song for free at Amazon MP3.
The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.
Direct download: CompCon_311_011414.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 6:05pm EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Brian Lewandowski as we discuss his latest bold career move. I've also got music from School of Seven Bells, Sadie Dupuis and Dead Stars.

Show notes:

- Recorded at BGL HQ

- Momentous life decision

- BL was working as a web guy at a Boston hospital

- Commuted four hours each day

- Didn't get promotion and decided to quit

- BL: I just hated what I did

- Haven't felt urgency to find something new

- JK: Got a job right out of college and never stopped

- Taking chances

- BL: Played it safe early on and missed out on working on MTV's The Real World

- Getting encouragement from friends not many kindred spirits

- Layoffs are a different thing entirely

- Going back to a job you left

- The very brief heyday of CMGI

- The ever-changing world of venue names

- BL: Need to figure out next move by February

- Commute is a huge factor

- Cramming into crowded trains gets old fast

- BL's been doing standup part-time the last few years

- Hosting a standup show that's growing slowly

- Not easy to get paid to do what you love

- People selling stuff at home parties: Hats, jewelry, food

- Get-rich schemes are the American Way

- Scratch tickets as a strategy

- BL: Take a lower-paying gig to support the real goal?

- Trying to separate money from career

- To be continued

Music:

School of Seven Bells - Lafaye

Sadie Dupuis - X Actually

Dead Stars - Fractured

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The School of Seven Bells song is on the album Ghostory on Vagrant Records. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The Sadie Dupuis song is a solo recording available for free at Stereogum.

The Dead Stars song is on the EP High Gain. Download the song for free at Bandcamp.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.
Direct download: CompCon_310_010714.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 7:06pm EDT

Part 3 of my conversation with guest Jay Breitling as we discuss our favorite music of 2013. I've also got music from Speedy Ortiz, Mudhoney and METZ.

Show notes:

- Recorded at Clicky Clicky World HQ

- JB's #1

- Speedy Ortiz jumped to Carpark Records

- Sadie Dupuis is an actual poet

- JK's #1

- Queens of the Stone Age went to interesting places on ...Like Clockwork

- Matador's first #1 record

- Favorite live shows

- JB saw Lilys in a tiny venue

- Whirr and Nothing at Great Scott made Breitling's brain shake

- Krill, Speedy Ortiz record release shows

- Saw Soccer Mom several times

- JK: Golden Gurls, Soccer Mom and Reports at TT's

- Clicky Clicky benefit was great

- Saw Titus Andronicus twice

- Obits and Pile at TT's

- Just got ticket for Rocket From the Crypt reunion show in April

- Mission of Burma and Reports at the Sinclair

- JK: Vinyl continued to make comeback

- JB: The reality of YouTube as a legit streaming music service

- No sympathy for the record industry

- We're in a pop-driven era

- Novelty songs, bubblegum were huge

- Rock bands have no staying power on the charts

- Anticipated albums for '14

- JB: Johnny Foreigner, Lubec, Soccer Mom, Golden Gurls, White Laces

- JK: Titus Andronicus, Malkmus, Speedy Ortiz EP, Soccer Mom

- Many '80s bands will release new albums

Music:

Speedy Ortiz - No Below (live)

Mudhoney - I Like It Small

METZ - Can't Understand

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Speedy Ortiz song is on the band's Epitonic Saki Session. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The Mudhoney song is on the album Vanishing Point on Sub Pop. Download it for free from Sub Pop.

The METZ song is part of the Adult Swim Singles Series. Download the song for free at Stereogum.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.
Direct download: CompCon_309_123113.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 4:34pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Jay Breitling as we discuss our favorite music of 2013. I've also got music from Los Campesinos!, Superchunk and Krill.

Show notes:

- Recorded at Clicky Clicky World HQ

- JK's #6

- New Bowie album was kept secret until it came out

- Cover art's either brilliant or lazy...or both

- JB's #5

- Los Campesinos! perserveres through lineup changes

- JK's #5

- The Chunk keeps bringing the rock

- Jon Wurster's the busiest guy in rock

- R.I.P., The Best Show on WFMU

- JB's #4

- The long-awaited MBV album

- Getting the album was a chore

- Kevin Shields took his time

- JK's #4

- Strong leap forward for Speedy Ortiz

- New EP on the way

- Memories of Epitonic

- JB's #3

- Veronica Falls' album sounds like a singles comp

- JK's #3

- Back to Philly with Kurt Vile

- Vile was a frequent guest on The Best Show

- JK's #2

- Krill first released album on USB stick in ball of mozzarella

- JB: My default setting is to hate everything

- JK's #2

- Arctic Monkeys' sound has evolved

- Went from punk to stoner rock to catchier R&B feel

- Very English band

- To be continued

Music:

Los Campesinos! - What Death Leaves Behind

Superchunk - FOH

Krill - Never a Joke

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Los Campesinos song is on the album No Blues on Wichita Recordings. Download the song for free at Soundcloud.

The Superchunk song is on the  I Hate Music on Merge Records. Download the song for free as part of the Merge Records Summer Sampler 2013 on Amazon.
The Krill song is on the band's self-released album Lucky Leaves. Download the song for free at Gimme Tinnitus.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.
Direct download: CompCon_308_122413.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 9:01am EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Jay Breitling as we discuss our favorite music of 2013. I've also got music from Guillermo Sexo, Calories and Savages.

Show notes:

- Recorded at Clicky Clicky World HQ

- Breitling's working on a new catchphrase

- Zeppelin's on Spotify

- Brought to you (not really) by Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale

- When did year-end lists begin?

- Breitling: Listen to Bandcamp and Soundcloud all day

- Olive the dog nearly causes technical difficulties

- JB's albums that just missed his top 10: It Hugs Back, Bent Shapes, Kal Marks, Slowdim

- JK's bubbling under albums: Iceage, Diarrhea Planet, Deer Tick, Swearin', Mudhoney, YLT

- JB's #10

- Joey Sweeney's second solo album

- JK's #10

- Great return to form for Barrence Whitfield

- JB's 9

- Guillermo Sexo album was picked up by Midriff Records

- JK's #9 and JB's #8 are the same

- Ovlov plays the hot rock

- Exploding in Sound label had a monster year

- Music scene in the Boston area is terrific right now

- JK's #8

- Future of the Left's latest album was crowdfunded

- JB's #7

- Beyonce's new album release isn't that groundbreaking

- Calories did it last month

- The upside of releasing "pay what you want" music

- JK's #7

- Savages' debut album is excellent

- JB's #6

- Radiator Hospital is another Philly act with a fine 2013 release

- To be continued

Music:

Guillermo Sexo - Fall Lens

Calories - Neighbours

Savages - She Will

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Guillermo Sexo song is on the album Dark Spring on Midriff Records. Download the song for free at Soundcloud.

The Calories song is on the album Calories III. Download the song for free at Bandcamp.

The Savages song is on the album Silence Yourself on Matador. Download the song for free as part of the Matador Intended Play 2013 sampler on Amazon.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.
Direct download: CompCon_307_121713.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 6:08pm EDT

Part 3 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1980. I've also got music from Shy Boys, Dog Day and PUP.

Show notes:

- Recorded via Skype

- Jay's #3

- Bowie's last great album?

- Jay: Tin Machine was an interesting experiment

- Brian's #2

- Sandinista! is a bloated, but great, album

- The Clash went to great lengths to keep price down

- A little better than Extreme's triple album

- A case study of success going to a band's 'head'

- TV theme producer Mike Post produced VH III

- Jay's #2 pick is Brian's #1

- Brian: "Once in a Lifetime" is one of the stranger smash hits of all time

- Great albums created after a serious case of writer's block

- Jay's #1

- Pretenders debut is flawless

- Band only formed two years earlier

- Half the band was dead within three years

- Crappy recording techniques hadn't started yet in 1980

- Next up: 1998

 

Music:

Shy Boys - Is This Who You Are

Dog Day - Wasted

PUP - Reservoir

 

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

 

The Shy Boys song is on the band's self-titled album on High Dive. Download it for free at Soundcloud

The Dog Day song is on the album Fade Out on Fundog Records. Download the song for free at Chromewaves.

The PUP song is on the band's self-released and self-titled album. Download the song for free at Bandcamp.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.
Direct download: CompCon_306_121013.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 7:25pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1980. I've also got music from The Harmonica Lewinskies, Idiot Genes and Tame Impala.

Show notes:

- Recorded via Skype

- Roller disco was once a thing

- Brian: Mainstream American rock was in a slump

- Just missed Brian's top 5: Queen's The Game

- Lennon's Double Fantasy and McCartney II

- The legend of Linda

- Peter Gabriel's Melt, the debut of the Lounge Lizards

- Jay: Blizzard of Ozz, Permanent Waves, Heaven and Hell, Empty Glass

- Townshend's writing style had changed

- Max Webster's Universal Juveniles

- Band combined Rush and Zappa influences

- 1980 was one of four years in Zappa's recording career he didn't release an album

- Brian's #5

- Pretenders' debut was amazing

- Jay's #5

- Back in Black was surprising given Bon Scott's death months earlier

- The expanding umbrella of classic rock

- Brian's #4

- Ozzy's solo debut reinvented his image

- Singers who don't write lyrics

- Jay's #4

- Jay: Melt is my favorite Gabriel album

- The greatness of Gabriel's early solo work

- Brian: Face Dances would be considered a great Townshend solo album

- Brian's #3

- Interesting debut from the Feelies

- Unlikely but successful Feelies comeback in recent years

- Rooting for local acts

- To be continued

Music:

The Harmonica Lewinskies - Jesus Christ is Just Rock and Roll

Idiot Genes - Soaked Pillow

Tame Impala - Feels Like We Only Go Backwards (Chrome Canyon De-mix)

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Harmonica Lewinskies song is available for free download (in exchange for your email address) at Bandcamp.

The Idiot Genes song is on the album Lousey. Download the song for free at Bandcamp.

The Tame Impala song is on the album Lonerism on Modular Recordings. Download the remix of the song for free at Epitonic.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.
Direct download: CompCon_305_120313.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 6:59pm EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1980. I've also got music from Calories, Shearwater and Mark Kozelek.

Show notes:

- Recorded via Skype

- Brian: 1980 was a much better year for music than our last choice, '87

- Jay: Was living in Toronto in '80

- Brian: Was -2 years old, but really dig the music of 1980

- Jay: New wave and post-punk really came into their own: B-52s, Talking Heads, U2, Pretenders

- Brian: Arena rock bands like Queen and Rush took different paths

- New sounds on the radio

- Brian: Guitar rock was strong with VH, Ozzy, Sabbath, AC/DC

- Poor Bob Daisley

- New Wave of British Heavy Metal: Maiden, Leppard, Motorhead all influenced thrash scene that emerged a few years later

- Worst musical moments: Wuss rock like Christopher Cross and Air Supply thrived

- Brian: Blues Brothers movie came out

- Put spotlight on music that was considered unhip at the time

- Early hip-hop in the mainstream: Kurtis Blow, Blondie's "Rapture," Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight"

- The Clash were incredibly prolific: London Calling and Sandinista! both came out within less than a year

- The crumminess of Cut the Crap

- Worst musical moment: John Lennon was killed

- Other deaths included John Bonham, Bon Scott, Ian Curtis, Darby Crash

- Death of the Beatles: John killed, Paul was busted, George's album was held up, Ringo was wasted

- Led Zeppelin also broke up in 1980

- Trading hockey cards for a Rush album is uniquely Canadian

- Soundtrack of Decline of Western Civilization came out in late '80

- To be continued

Music:

Calories - DMT

Shearwater - A Wake for the Minotaur

Mark Kozelek - I Know

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Calories song is on the album Calories III. Download the song for free at Bandcamp.

The Shearwater song is on the album Fellow Travelers on Sub Pop. Download the song for free at The Current.

The Mark Kozelek song is on the compilation album You Be My Heart benefiting 826 National. Download the song for free at GLGPub.com.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.
Direct download: CompCon_304_112613.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 7:50pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Ric Dube as we discuss a pair of 1970s hitmakers. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Little Big League, Soft Focus, Idiot Genes and Wavves.

Show notes:

- Recorded at More Lost Time world HQ

- "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree"

- Tony Orlando and Dawn got their own variety show

- Telma Hopkins of Dawn went on to appear in several sitcoms

- Renewed popularity during Gulf War

- Actually about coming home from prison

- Was "Knock Three Times" a swingers' anthem?

- By the late '70s, Tony Orlando was forgotten

- "He Don't Love You" was another big hit

- In praise of KC and the Sunshine Band

- Tales of KC's pratfall in Vegas

- "Please Don't Go" was a major hit for KC

- "I'm Your Boogie Man" was funky, great stuff

- Learning about music as a kid in the '70s

- Young Ric saw the Sex Pistols on Howard Cosell's "Saturday Night Live"

- Good bands played on "Fridays" on ABC

- Dick Clark was a brilliant businessman, not necessarily a music lover

- Check out episode 54 of More Lost Time, remembering Charlie Chesterman

- Coming soon: Ric and Jay's video show Trust Fund Challenge

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:

Little Big League - Lindsey

Soft Focus - Runner Up

Idiot Genes - Regular

Wavves - Horse Shoes

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Little Big League song is on the self-released album These Are Good People. Download the song for free on Bandcamp.

The Soft Focus song is on the EP Day. Download the EP for free at Bandcamp.

The Idiot Genes song is on the album Lousey. Download the song for free at Bandcamp.

The Wavves song was released as a one-off single. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Direct download: CompCon_303_111913.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 7:06pm EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Ric Dube as we discuss an unlikely number one single from 1973. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Pixies, Quasi, The Julie Ruin and Ghost Wave.

Show notes:

- Recorded at More Lost Time world HQ

- Talking about Vicki Lawrence's "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia"

- We forgot to watch the movie

- This was her only hit

- Written by Bobby Russell

- Lawrence was already a regular on The Carol Burnett Show

- Later starred in Mama's Family and her own talk show

- Very confusing story song about murder and infidelity

- Song was offered to Cher but Sonny Bono nixed it

- Later covered by Reba McEntire

- Ric: Should've been an animated movie with animals

- Revenge and death throughout

- We're confused

- Casey Kasem would've been annoyed

- Bobby Russell had two top 40 songs of his own

- "1432 Franklin Pike Circle Hero" hit #36

- Could've used an oompah band

- Satire on suburban life

- "Saturday Morning Confusioon" got up to #28 in 1971

- Merging Charlie Rich and Harry Nilsson

- Ric: This guy might be a genius

- Next up: Tony Orlando and Dawn

- To be continued

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:

Pixies - Indie Cindy

Quasi - You Can Stay But You Got to Go

The Julie Ruin - Oh Come On

Ghost Wave - Here She Comes

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Pixies song is on the self-released EP-1.

The Quasi song is on the album Mole City on Kill Rock Stars.

The Julie Ruin song is on the album Run Fast on TJR Records.

The Ghost Wave song is on the album Ages on Flying Nun Records. All four songs can be downloaded for free at KEXP.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Direct download: CompCon_302_111213.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 6:44pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Matt Phillion as we discuss horror flicks and rooting for the bad guy. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Fu Manchu, Pissed Jeans and JEFF the Brotherhood.

Show notes:

- Movies we watched before we were ready

- Jay: Psycho at age 8

- Matt: Monster movies always freaked him out

- The reinvention of Jackie Earle Haley

- Swamp Thing vs. Man-Thing

- Sympathizing with unsympathetic characters

- Liam Neeson is the new Charles Bronson

- Watch out for giant deformed hillbillies

- Cool TV shows that didn't last long

- American Horror Story is pretty wacky

- Bates Motel is good

- Rooting for the charismatic bad guy: Tony Soprano, Vic Mackey, Loki

- Bad guy roles are more fun to play

- Watching crappy movies like 2012

- Amazing acting on In Treatment

- The varied and great career of the Coen Brothers

- Cormac McCarthy, horror writer?

- Stephen King keeps adding to old books

- Matt wearing clown makeup freaks people out

- People like to be scared

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:

Fu Manchu - Robotic Invasion

Pissed Jeans - Cathouse

JEFF the Brotherhood - Melting Place

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Fu Manchu song is on the EP Scion AV Presents Fu Manchu and Moab. Download the song for free at Soundcloud.

The Pissed Jeans song is on the album Honeys on Sub Pop. Download the song for free at SubPop.com.

The JEFF the Brotherhood song is on the compilation Garage Swim. Download the song for free at Adult Swim.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.
Direct download: CompCon_301_110513.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 6:23pm EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Matt Phillion as we discuss Halloween and horror flicks. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Dead Meadow, The Cloud Room and The Beatings.

Show notes:

- Salem, Mass., is Halloween Central

- Just a straight-out fun holiday

- Can be frustrating for those who live in Salem

- Old-school newspaper pro-tip: Keep booze in yer desk

- "Write drunk, edit sober"

- As a kid, Matt was excited to dress up on Halloween

- Jay: All about the candy

- In NH, rural location meant we didn't have trick-or-treaters

- Don't get that many now

- Matt's costumes over the years: Robin, Julius Caesar

- Jay: Moses, Don King, Bootsy Collins

- Matt has a Batman mask this year

- When kids are scared of your costume

- Enjoyed Halloween more as an adult

- The Lunchlady and the Flasher

- Scary movies are fun

- Matt: Blair Witch had a great gimmick, not a great story

- So much more scary watching movies by yourself

- Matt: The Saw movies are terrible, but creepy

- Zombie movies are everywhere

- Allegory for fear of disease

- Real-life face-eating is scarier

- Horror movie remakes are coming out all the time

- Jay: Still remember the trailer for the late '70s flick It's Alive

- Horror films are good investments

- Jay: Loved the film version of The Shining

- To be continued

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:

Dead Meadow - Yesterday's Blowin' Back

The Cloud Room - Mrs. Marquis de Sade

The Beatings - How Many Times Can You Say Goodbye to the Same Person?

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Dead Meadow song is on the album Warble Womb on Xemu Records. Download the song for free at RollingStone.com.

The Cloud Room song is on the compilation You Be My Heart. Download the song for free at Soundcloud.

The Beatings song is on the album Italiano on Midriff Records. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.
Direct download: CompCon_300_102913.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 7:49pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Jay Breitling as we discuss benefit concerts. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from The So So Glos, Grooms, Black Hearted Brother and Slowdim.

Show notes:

- Recorded at Casa Breitling before a live studio audience

- Breitling's hosting the 2nd annual Community Servings benefit show on Nov. 3 at TT the Bears in Cambridge, Mass.

- Featuring K. Heasley of Lilys, Soccer Mom, The Hush Now and Earthquake Party

- Sadie Dupuis of Speedy Ortiz will provide DJ sets

- Providing meals to the chronically ill

- Roger Waters held huge benefit show in Berlin in 1990

- Breitling was in Germany at the time

- The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert was huge in '92

- Two big post-9/11 concerts in NYC

- SARS benefit concert in 2003 was the biggest show in Canadian history, with the Stones, AC/DC, Rush

- Live 8 in 2005 was actually eight concerts in eight cities on the same day

- Pink Floyd reunited with Waters

- Did benefits have more impact in the past?

- Increased capacity to put on benefit shows now

- Hear 'N Aid was the mid-'80s metal version of We Are the World

- Featured a ridiculous number of guitar solos

- Big charity show in Boston earlier this year after the Marathon bombing

- Hot Stove Cool Music started in Boston, now also in Chicago

- Recent Crash Safely MS benefit ran four nights in Boston-area clubs

- Breitling: Bands and venue make benefits happen by giving their time

- Club bookers were a huge help

- Plenty of logistics to consider

- Last year Community Servings benefit was at Great Scott

- Different kind of benefit for Community Servings, reaching a different audience

- Get yer tickets now

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:

The So So Glos - Emergency

Grooms - I Think We're Alone Now

Black Hearted Brother - This is How It Feels
Slowdim - Wishing Well
Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The So So Glos song is on the compilation Shaking Through Volume 4. Download the comp for free at Bandcamp.

The Grooms song is on the album Infinity Caller on Western Vinyl. Download the song for free at Bandcamp.

The Black Hearted Brother song is on the album Stars Are Our Home on Slumberland Records. Download the song for free at Chromewaves.

The Slowdim song is a reworked version of a song on the band's self-titled album. Download the song for free at Bandcamp.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.
Direct download: CompCon_299_102213.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 7:15pm EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Jay Breitling as we discuss the benefit concert he's organizing. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Shearwater, Deer Tick, FIDLAR and Come.

Show notes:

- Recorded at Casa Breitling before a live studio audience

- Breitling's hosting the 2nd annual Community Servings benefit show on Nov. 3 at TT the Bears in Cambridge, Mass.

- Featuring K. Heasley of Lilys, Soccer Mom, The Hush Now and Earthquake Party

- Sadie Dupuis of Speedy Ortiz will provide DJ sets

- Olive sniffs the recorder

- Get tickets now

- Providing meals to the chronically ill

- Last year's event featured Johnny Foreigner

- Rock benefits have been happening for decades

- They seem less impactful now

- Live Aid was a huge event in 1985 with shows in Philly and London

- Controversy over charity administration

- The Concert for Bangaldesh in '71 was the first big charity concert

- The Secret Policeman's Ball was run by Amnesty International

- Sting's Rock for the Rainforest benefit has been happening for 20+ years

- Amnesty International's Conspiracy of Hope was a big deal in 1986

- Breitling: Axl Rose has Vince Neil-itis

- To be continued

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:

Shearwater - Fucked Up Life

Deer Tick - The Dream's in the Ditch

FIDLAR - Got No Money
Come - String (live)

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Shearwater song is on the album Fellow Travelers on Sub Pop. Download the song for free at Stereogum.

The Deer Tick song is on the album Negativity on Partisan Records. Download the song for free as part of the Partisan Records Summer/Fall Sampler 2013 on Amazon.

The FIDLAR song is on the EP Don't Try on Mom + Pop Music. Download the song for free at Chromewaves.
The Come song is part of the band's Epitonic Saki Session, which you can download for free at Epitonic.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.
Direct download: CompCon_298_101413.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 3:34pm EDT

Part 3 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1987. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Sebadoh, The Men and The Besnard Lakes.

Show notes:

- Recorded via Skype

- Jay's #2 album of '87: The Cult's Electric

- Used to crank it while working supermarket night shifts

- Brian's #2: R.E.M.'s Document

- Mike Mills is the band's secret weapon

- R.E.M. was burdened by U2 comparisons

- Stipe and Mills formed Automatic Baby with U2's Clayton and Mullen

- Jay's #1: GNR's Appetite for Destruction

- Paved the way for rawer hard rock

- Brian's #1: Pixies' Come On Pilgrim EP

- New Pixies is okay but nowhere near the old one

- Teenage metalhead Jay also dug Joe Satriani's Surfing With the Alien

- Enjoying That Metal Show

- Terrible moments in '87 music

- Jay: Bruce Willis releases an album

- Brian: Pink Floyd's post-Waters output

- "That's What Friends Are For"

- Jay: Terrible movie soundtrack music, like Bob Seger's "Shakedown"

- "Shakedown" was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe

- Starship's "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now"

- Brian: The death of legendary jazz bassist Jaco Pastorius

- The fascinating story of Aaron North (ex-Icarus Line and NIN guitarist)

- The Jesus Lizard got a record deal thanks to Kurt Cobain

- Next on our hit list: 1980

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:

Sebadoh - I Will

The Men - I Saw Her Face

The Besnard Lakes - People of the Sticks

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Sebadoh song is on the album Defend Yourself on Joyful Noise Recordings. Download the song for free (in exchange for your email address) as part of the Paste Fall Preview 2013 at NoiseTrade.

The song from The Men is on the album Campfire Songs on Sacred Bones Records. Download the song for free at Aquarium Drunkard.

The Besnard Lakes song is on the album Until in Excess, Imperceptible UFO on Jagjaguwar Records. Download the song for free at Chromewaves.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.
Direct download: CompCon_297_100513.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 2:23pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1987. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Okkervil River, Beachwood Sparks and Midlake.

Show notes:

- Recorded via Skype

- Brian: Birth of the cassingle

- Inexpensive way to buy singles, B-sides

- Brian: Collecting 45s for a jukebox

- Jay: 1987 was big for female pop artists

- Madonna, Bangles, Belinda Carlisle, Lisa Lisa, Heart

- Older songs like "Stand By Me" were re-released

- Young Brian bought his first album in '87: The Monkees' Greatest Hits

- New Monkees TV show came and went

- Jay: Made two top 5 album lists, Then and Now

- Jay: Then list (#5 to #1): Def Leppard's Hysteria, INXS's Kick, Cult's Electric, Whitesnake's s/t and U2's Joshua Tree

- Whitesnake was the hard rock version of Ringo Starr's All Starr Band

- Brian's #5: George Harrison's Cloud Nine, despite Jeff Lynne's heavy handed production

- Jay's #5: Husker Du's Warehouse, not their best but still pretty great

- Incredible run of albums over a short period

- Brian's #4: Prince's Sign o' the Times, maybe his last great album

- Jay's #4: Replacements' Pleased to Meet Me; Westerberg's focuses on songwriting and less on aggression

- Brian's #4: Tom Waits' Franks Wild Years; did Izzy Stradlin play on this album?

- To be continued

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:

Okkervil River - Stay Young

Beachwood Sparks - Make It Together

Midlake - Antiphon

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Okkervil River song is on the album The Silver Gymnasium on ATO Records. Download the song for free (in exchange for your email address) on Goodbye Summer: ATO Records 2013 Fall Sampler at ATORecords.com.

The Beachwood Sparks song is on the album Desert Skies on Alive Naturalsounds Records. Download the song for free at Soundcloud.

The Midlake song is on the album Antiphon on ATO Records. Download the song for free (in exchange for your email address) on Goodbye Summer: ATO Records 2013 Fall Sampler at ATORecords.com.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.
Direct download: CompCon_296_092613.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 4:26pm EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1987. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Guillermo Sexo, Natural Velvet and Speedy Ortiz.

Show notes:

- Recorded via Skype

- Different perspectives: Brian was 5 in 1987, Jay was in college

- Brian: The impact of La Bamba, movie about Richie Valens

- Kicked off a roots rock revival

- Jay: Big year for alternative rock

- Breakout year for R.E.M., The Cure, The Cult

- Jay: Making the transition from metalhead to alt-rock fan

- No regional radio anymore

- Brian: CDs started catching on, especially when Beatles catalog was released

- CDs provided definitive versions of albums

- Became easier to make mixtapes

- Jay: Huge year for U2 with The Joshua Tree

- Landing tickets for U2 in '87 was no easy feat

- Brian: GNR's Appetite for Destruction actually paved the way for hair metal's demise

- Harked back to sleazier sounds of '70s garage rock

- Jane's Addiction seemed dangerous back then

- Guitar music was moving in different directions

- To be continued

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:

Guillermo Sexo - Fall Lens

Natural Velvet - Dark Inertia

Speedy Ortiz - Plough (live)

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Guillermo Sexo song is on the album Dark Spring on Midriff Records. Download the song for free at Soundcloud.

The Natural Velvet song is on the EP Salome with the Head of John the Baptist. Download the EP for free at Bandcamp.

The Speedy Ortiz song is on the band's Epitonic Saki Session. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.
Direct download: CompCon_295_091913.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 3:00pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Ric Dube as we discuss actors turned singers. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Sebadoh, Mind Spiders and Diarrhea Planet.

Show notes:

- Recorded at More Lost Time world HQ

- John Travolta's music career was dragged out over three albums

- "All Strung Out on You" could've been a Velvet Underground outtake

- Co-writer Nino Tempo had an illustrious acting career as an extra

- Burt Reynolds made an album in '73

- Burt reads from his childhood diary

- Ric serves up crap on my podcast, not his

- Adam West's novelty record

- Other actors who made albums: Telly Savalas, Ted Knight

- Plenty of musicians who became actors: Kris Kristofferson, Jagger, Bowie

- Mark Wahlberg and Justin Timberlake have done well as actors

- Actors turned musicians: Kevin Bacon, Bruce Willis, Keanu Reeves, Russell Crowe, Steven Seagal, Don Johnson

- Rick James produced Eddie Murphy's "Party All the Time"

- Eddie had already moved from comedian to movie star

- In "Boogie Nights," Dirk Diggler thinks he's got musical talent

- Murphy and Michael Jackson teamed up in '93's "Whatzupwitu"

- Corey Feldman's musical aspirations

- Ric's list of actresses who shouldn't make records

- Jodie Foster made an album when she was a kid

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:

Sebadoh - State of Mine

Mind Spiders - Make Make Make Make

Diarrhea Planet - Separations

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Sebadoh song is on the forthcoming album Defend Yourself on Joyful Noise Recordings. Download the song for free at Soundcloud.

The Mind Spiders song is on the forthcoming album Inhumanistic on Dirtnap Records. Download the song for free at LargeheartedBoy.

The Diarrhea Planet song is on the album I'm Rich Beyond Your Wildest Dreams on Infinity Cat Recordings. Download the song for free at Amazon MP3.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Direct download: CompCon_294_091213.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 3:39pm EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Ric Dube as we discuss actor-turned-singer David Soul's massive 1977 hit song. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Mean Creek, Los Campesinos and Shearwater.

Show notes:

- Recorded at More Lost Time world HQ

- David Soul, aka Hutch from "Starsky and Hutch," just turned 70

- "Don't Give Up on Us" hit #1 in April 1977

- Soul started out as a folk singer

- "Don't Give Up on Us" in the same vein as wuss rock by Bread, Dan Hill, Manilow

- Ric: Soul was on Private Stock Records, which churned out pop hits

- Label run by Larry Uttal, who was previously a hitmaker for Bell Records

- Private Stock master tapes were all lost after label went bankrupt

- Soul just had the one hit

- The B-side was weird song called "Black Bean Soup" that sounded like old Robert Palmer

- John Travolta was another actor with a record deal in the '70s

- Travolta was a teen idol after "Welcome Back, Kotter" and "The Boy in the Plastic Bubble"; pre-Saturday Night Fever and Grease

- Big single was "Let Her In," even schmaltzier than the David Soul song

- No vocal range whatsoever

- "Rack jobbers" were big business; putting records in racks in drugstores and supermarkets for impulse shoppers

- To be continued

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:

Mean Creek - Cool Town

Los Campesinos - What Death Leaves Behind

Shearwater - I Luv the Valley OH!

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Mean Creek song is on the forthcoming album Local Losers on Old Flame Records. Download the song for free at Soundcloud.

The Los Campesinos song is on the forthcoming album No Blues on Wichita Recordings. Download the song for free at Soundcloud.

The Shearwater song is on the album Fellow Travelers on Sub Pop. Download the song for free at Sub Pop.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Direct download: CompCon_293_090513.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 11:20pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Matt Phillion as we discuss our society's obsession with the apocalypse. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Marnie Stern, The Superman Revenge Squad Band, Radstewart and Thee Oh Sees.

Show notes:

- Recorded at Chez Phillion

- Neil Gaiman's American Gods may someday become an HBO series

- Seven stories keep getting retold

- When authors can't finish their series

- John Irving writes last line of a novel first

- Writing novels vs. screenplays

- Barrier to entry in moviemaking was cost of film, with books was publishing

- Now you can self-publish online

- Matt's film Certainly Never was screened at Massachusetts Independent Film Festival

- The satisfaction of slamming down a phone is gone

- Fun at the Boston "Nerd Prom," aka ComiCon

- Nerds rule the world

- Why does The Hobbit require a movie trilogy?

- When reality and satire are easily confused

- Outrage-powered culture

- Viagra has created an army of horny geezers

- Hopefully we won't have to deal with the End Times

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Marnie Stern - This Was It

The Superman Revenge Squad Band - A Funny Thing You Said

Radstewart - Beer Swindlers

Thee Oh Sees - Castiatic Tackle

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Marnie Stern song is part of the Adult Swim Singles Program 2013. Download the song for free at Adult Swim.

The Superman Revenge Squad Band song is a single released on Audio Antihero. Download the song for free at Bandcamp.

The Radstewart song is the EP Whig Crooks and Beer Swindlers on Alcopop. Download the song for free at Soundcloud.

The Thee Oh Sees song is on the album Warm Slime on In the Red Records. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Direct download: CompCon_292_082713.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 8:45pm EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Matt Phillion as we discuss our society's obsession with the apocalypse. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Nine Inch Nails, Obits, Girls Against Boys and Wavves.

Show notes:

- Recorded at Chez Phillion

- Obsessing over the end of the world is nothing new

- Harold Camping boldly predicted the end date in 2011...twice

- Heaven's Gate cult committed mass suicide in '97

- Kirk Cameron and the Rapture

- Recent apocalyptic movies include This is the End and Pacific Rim

- Disaster movies have done big business for decades

- Matt's dog doesn't dig doomsday discussion

- Zombies are all the rage

- Matt recommends Peter Heller's post-apocalyptic thriller "The Dog Stars"

- Matt: Are all our best stories about the end of the world?

- In the '80s, fears of nuclear annihilation

- Lots of crazy natural disasters happening

- Fears of a virus wiping out mankind

- Stephen King's "The Stand" explored these issues in '78

- Japanese monster movies came after the A-bomb

- Miami face eater

- Making money off doomsday preppers

- Sales of bunkers, food, weapons, etc.

- Religious "Chick tracts" designed to freak people out

- To be continued

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Nine Inch Nails - Copy of a

Obits - Spun Out

Girls Against Boys - It's a Diamond Life

Wavves - I Wanna Meet Dave Grohl

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Nine Inch Nails song is on the forthcoming album Hesitation Marks on Columbia. The song is available for free download at Amazon.

The Obits song is on the album Bed & Bugs on Sub Pop. Download the song for free at Sub Pop.

The Girls Against Boys song is the band's first new music in a decade. Download the song for free at Stereogum.

The Wavves song is on the EP Life Sux on Ghost Ramp. Download the song for free at Chromewaves.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Direct download: CompCon_291_081913.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 7:08pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Amanda Guest as we discuss the new online radio station she's launching. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from PJ Harvey, The Moondoggies, Wavves and King Tuff.

Show notes:

- Recorded via Skype

- Launching her own radio station, BFF.fm

- Taking back real radio

- Hope to bring back the college radio experience

- KUSF is trying to stay alive

- Amanda: College radio had a huge impact

- Amanda lives within walking distance of rock clubs in SF

- Already had discussions with venues about sponsoring shows

- Starting with seven DJs

- One DJ in Massachusetts pre-recording shows

- Even before launch, BFF.fm has generated a lot of enthusiasm

- Amanda: Work full-time gig so she can do this during her spare time

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
PJ Harvey - Shaker Aamer

The Moondoggies - Red Eye

Wavves - Hippies is Punks

King Tuff - Anthem

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The PJ Harvey song was recorded in support of Shaker Aamer, the last British prisoner being held in Guantanamo Bay prison. The song is available for free download at Soundcloud.

The Moondoggies song is on the album Adios I'm a Ghost on Hardly Art. Download the song for free at HardlyArt.

The Wavves song is a bonus track on the album Afraid of Heights on Warner Bros. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The King Tuff song is on his self-titled album on Sub Pop. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Direct download: CompCon_290_080813.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 11:07pm EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Amanda Guest as we discuss the new online radio station she's launching. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Black Rebel Motorcycle, Quicksand, Rocket From the Crypt and Dinosaur Jr.

Show notes:

- Recorded via Skype

- Amanda was last on CompCon in October 2010

- Moved to San Francisco a year ago

- Launching her own radio station, BFF.fm

- Did a radio show at WMWM at Salem State

- Found studio space to rent at The Secret Alley

- Adventures in Console Purchasing

- Have 4-5 DJs lined up to do shows

- Possible launch date is Sept. 1, but you can listen to music there now

- Best Frequencies Forever

- Using word of mouth

- Partnering with San Francisco venues and brands

- Possible remote broadcasts with DJs from around the world

- Focused on underground music

- DJs "pay to play" in SF

- Hoping to get sponsorships

- Still working full-time while getting BFF going

- Lifelong dream to start a radio station

- SF is a lot more optimistic

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Hate the Taste (live)

Quicksand - Fazer (live)

Rocket from the Crypt - Born in '69 (live)

Dinosaur Jr. - The Only Other Way

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Quicksand and Rocket from the Crypt songs are on the Converse Represent San Francisco live EP, available for free at Soundcloud.

The Dinosaur Jr. song is an unreleased track available for free download at SkullCandy.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Direct download: CompCon_289_080213.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 10:02pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Jay Breitling as we discuss our favorite music of the first half of 2013 and look ahead to the rest of the year. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Lady Lamb the Beekeeper, Savages, Veronica Falls and Mikal Cronin.

Show notes:

- Recorded at Clicky Clicky world HQ

- JB: Lady Lamb the Beekeeper - Ripely Pine

- Maine native wrote songs while working in video store

- JK: The National - Trouble Will Find Me

- Still digging into this one

- What's the deal with Vampire Weekend?

- JB: Slowdim - s/t

- "A real nice listen"

- JK: Mikal Cronin - MC II

- Plays in Ty Segall's band

- The Besnard Lakes are an interesting band

- JK: New Sabbath is surprisingly non-sucky

- Old bands getting eclipsed by cover acts

- The Stones should just stop

- New Arcade Fire album expected in the fall

- JB: New Soccer Mom full-length may be out this year

- New music from Earthquake Party and Guillermo Sexo

- JK: Looking forward to new Obits album

- More new Pixies music on the way?

- Superchunk's new album coming in the fall

- New Arctic Monkeys and Pearl Jam albums due out

- JB: Anticipating new Polvo, Johnny Foreigner, Weekend, Golden Gurls

- JB: Predict the John Hughes soundtrack sound is going to come back

- Small venues are where it's at

- Pop country is attracting older fans who used to like rock

- Wear earplugs to shows, kids

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Lady Lamb the Beekeeper - Rooftop

Savages - She Will

Veronica Falls - Bad Feeling

Mikal Cronin - Weight

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Lady Lamb the Beekeeper song is on the album Ripely Pine on Ba Da Bing! Download the song for free at Spinner.

The Savages song is on the album Silence Yourself on Matador. Download the song for free as part of the Matador Intended Play 2013 sampler on Amazon.

The Veronica Falls song is on the album Waiting for Something to Happen on Slumberland Records. Download the song for free as part of the Slumberland Records Spring/Summer 2013 Sampler on Amazon.

The Mikal Cronin song is on the album MCII on Merge Records. Download the song for free as part of the Merge Records Summer Sampler 2013 on Amazon.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Direct download: CompCon_288_072713.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 12:40pm EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Jay Breitling as we discuss our favorite music of the first half of 2013. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Speedy Ortiz, Radiator Hospital, Kurt Vile and Light Heat.

Show notes:

- Recorded at Clicky Clicky world HQ

- Rick Moranis has a new album out

- Rush's only U.S. top 40 hit was 1982's "New World Man"

- Brought to you (not really) by Lagunitas Little Sumpin' Sumpin'

- JK: iTunes crashed, lost all playlists and play counts

- Spotify recently added music recommendations

- Serious signal-to-noise ratio

- YouTube's a great source of cool audio and video

- JB: A lot of great music from Exploding in Sound label

- JB: Ovlov - Am

- JK: Speedy Ortiz - Major Arcana

- Featured on JB's Lilys comp

- Many young bands embracing '90s sounds

- JB: Krill - Lucky Leaves

- Bass-playing singers free up space for guitarists

- JK: Palma Violets - 180

- Catchy Britpop that rocks

- JB: Radiator Hospital - Something Wild

- Album title comes from Jonathan Demme movie

- JK: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Push the Sky Away

- More subdued effort, but still excellent

- JB: Colleen - The Weighing of the Heart

- Former French schoolteacher

- Speedy Ortiz posted a great mixtape on their blog

- JK: David Bowie - The Next Day

- Unexpected but surprisingly good

- JB: Veronica Falls - Waiting for Something to Happen

- Melodic British guitar pop

- JK hasn't purchased any CDs this year; JB's bought fewer than 10

- Vinyl ain't cheap

- JB's listed in liner notes of new Speedy Ortiz album

- JK: Kurt Vile - Wakin' on a Pretty Daze

- Very chill, lots of long jams

- Kurt's brother sells Jell-O shots at festivals

- JB: Light Heat - s/t

- Former Mazarin fronter on his own

- JK: Queens of the Stone Age - ...Like Clockwork

- Expected hard rocker and got something more interesting

- New QOTSA drummer is Jon Theodore, ex of Mars Volta

- To be continued

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Speedy Ortiz - Tiger Tank

Radiator Hospital - Your Boyfriend

Kurt Vile - Wakin' on a Pretty Day

Light Heat - The Mirror (live)

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Speedy Ortiz song is on the album Major Arcana on Carpark Records. Download the song for free at Stereogum.

The Radiator Hospital song is on the album Something Wild. Download the entire album for free at Bandcamp.

The Kurt Vile song is on the album Wakin' on a Pretty Daze on Matador Records. Download the song for free at Matador.

The Light Heat song is on the band's self-titled album on Ribbon Music. Download the live version for free as part of the WXPN/Key Studio Session at The Key.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Direct download: CompCon_287_071613.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 7:40pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we discuss music we've outgrown. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Queens of the Stone Age, The National, Superchunk and Eleanor Friedberger.

Show notes:

- Recorded via Skype

- Check out Brian's comics podcast The Hour Cosmic

- Jay: U2 was favorite band from late '80s to early '90s

- Diminishing returns over last 20 years; sick of Bono

- Brian: R.E.M. was approaching that territory when they quit

- Brian: Done with Metallica

- Jay: Musically, haven't dug them since The Black Album

- Brian: Want to get back into old (non-Metallica) thrash

- Not loving the Cookie Monster vocals

- Jay: Once liked Don Henley's solo work, now hate him

- Brian: Second incarnation of Aerosmith from 1985-on is terrible

- Music got dumb, started working with outside writers

- The curse of '80s production techniques

- Brian: Not a good time for hard rock recording now; too much compression

- Jay: Hair metal lost its appeal quickly

- Saw many hair metal shows in mid-80s: Ratt, Motley Crue, Dokken

- Brian: Mall punk and ska have lost their luster

- Bands specialized in terrible covers

- Blink 182, Goldfinger, Less Than Jake, Save Ferris

- Jay: Clapton is NOT God

- Brian: Not a fan of the blues; too samey

- Jay: Still like the blues, but don't listen much anymore

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:

Queens of the Stone Age - My God is the Sun

The National - Don't Swallow the Cap

Superchunk - FOH

Eleanor Friedberger - Stare at the Sun

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Queens of the Stone Age song is on the album ...Like Clockwork on Matador Records. Download the song for free as part of the Matador Intended Play 2013 sampler on Amazon.

The National song is on the album Trouble Will Find Me on 4AD. Download the song for free as part of the 4AD Sampler on Amazon.

The Superchunk song is on the forthcoming album I Hate Music on Merge Records. Download the song for free as part of the Merge Records Summer Sampler 2013 on Amazon.

The Eleanor Friedberger song is on the album Personal Record on Merge Records. Download the song for free as part of the Merge Records Summer Sampler 2013 on Amazon.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.
Direct download: CompCon_286_070913.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 7:37pm EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we discuss music we've outgrown. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from The Pixies, Obits, Adam Franklin and Bob Mould.

Show notes:

- Recorded via Skype

- Check out Brian's comics podcast The Hour Cosmic

- Will launch Input/Output, a music-themed show, soon

- Tracking the different Black Flag reunions

- Rollins doesn't sing anymore

- Kim Deal leaves Pixies

- Rumors of new Pixies recordings (we talked a few days before the new Pixies song dropped)

- Music we once loved but have outgrown

- Brian: The Offspring (on Jay's list as well)

- Somehow grew popular

- Jay: Red Hot Chili Peppers

- Really, it's Kiedis who hasn't aged well

- Awkward moments at Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame inductions

- The greatness of Tom Scharpling and The Best Show

- The bland rock of Bad Company

- Brian drops a bomb with Sonic Youth

- Just can't get into them

- Jay: Sting has grown tiresome

- Big fan of The Police, but in the early '90s, Sting began to suck mightily

- Brian: Wank guitar (also on Jay's list)

- Yngwie Malmsteen led a wave of classically-inspired speed guitarists

- The Vinnie Vincent Invasion was so dumb, so fast

- Soft spot for That Metal Show

- Stephen Malkmus crams tons of solos into good songs

- DLR and Ozzy had plenty of hot guitarists come through their bands

- Brian: Recent McCartney concert was best show he's ever seen

- Listening to music is no longer a sole activity; now, it's always done while you do something else

- Music discovery was a challenging pursuit prior to the Internet

- To be continued

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:

The Pixies - Bagboy

Obits - Taste the Diff

Adam Franklin - Boocat Leah

Bob Mould - The Descent

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Pixies song is available for free download (in exchange for your email address) at PixiesMusic.

The Obits song is on the forthcoming album Bed & Bugs on Sub Pop. Download the song for free at Sub Pop.

The Adam Franklin song is on the album Black Horses on Goodnight Records. Download the song for free at Largehearted Boy.

The Bob Mould song is on the album Silver Age on Merge Records. Download the song for free as part of the Forecastle Festive Sampler at Noisetrade.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.
Direct download: CompCon_285_070213.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 8:45pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Ric Dube as we present our ideas for rebooting classic sitcoms. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from METZ, Majical Cloudz, Speedy Ortiz and Murray A. Lightburn.

Show notes:

- Recorded at More Lost Time world HQ

- Jay: Movie reboot of Laverne and Shirley starring Emma Stone and Ellen Page

- Set at a Seattle microbrewery

- AV Club's Random Roles feature is terrific

- Ric: Sets Happy Days in 1991 Seattle, called Dazed and Abused

- Jason Everman's strange trip

- Let it go, Dave Mustaine

- Jay: Bosom Buddies reimagined with dudes dressing as women in drag

- Ric's take on Hangover 3

- Dueling Mork and Mindy remakes

- Ric: Get Robin Williams to play older Mork

- Jay: Alien lands in Portland, followed around by documentary crew

- What the hell is the Modern Family documentary about?

- Arnold does great commentary tracks

- Ric: Leave It to Cheever

- Partridge Family reboot with the Kardashians

- The new Jay Leno Show

- Ric still wants to make the reality show Blue Balls

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:

METZ - Can't Understand

Majical Cloudz - Bugs Don't Buzz

Speedy Ortiz - No Below

Murray A. Lightburn - Motherfuckers

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The METZ song is part of the Adult Swim Singles Series. Download the song for free at Stereogum.

The Majical Cloudz song is on the album Impersonator on Matador Records. Download the song for free at Chromewaves.

The Speedy Ortiz song is on the album Major Arcana on Carpark Records. Download the song for free at Stereogum.

The Murray A. Lightburn song is on the album Mass: Light. Download the song for free at Chromewaves.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Direct download: CompCon_284_062513.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 8:25pm EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Ric Dube as we present our ideas for rebooting classic sitcoms. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Speedy Ortiz, Hunx and His Punx, Moon King and Mikal Cronin.

Show notes:

- Recorded at More Lost Time world HQ

- Ric beats a cybersquatter at his own game

- Ric wants to reboot American Idol

- "Celebrity Barrel Jumping"

- Tom Scholz of the band Boston is into "freestyle figure skating"

- Ric: Judges would be voted off each season by fans

- Show would have weekly winner like Jeopardy

- Chuck Barris was talent show pioneer with The Gong Show

- Jay: Reimagined take on Sanford and Son starring Indian father and son convenience store owners

- Stretch of minority-themed sitcoms in the '70s

- UPN network had several black sitcoms in the '90s

- The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer was comedic look at slavery

- All in the Family could never air today; people are too sensitive

- The late '60s scourge of "interracial touching"

- Recent Cheerios commercial with interracial family drew racist complaints

- Racial sensitivity in the workplace

- Ric: Reboot of The Bob Newhart Show, set in a nursing home

- Original Newhart show is a comedy classic

- Wondering how Northern Exposure has aged

- Newhart's breakthrough comedy album was recorded live

- Jay: Modern take on Chico and the Man would touch on immigration debate

- How funny was Freddie Prinze?

- Ric: Simpsons 2800 AD would combine elements of ghost-chasing cartoons

- New Scooby Doo Mystery Incorporated show looks interesting

- To be continued

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Speedy Ortiz - Tiger Tank

Hunx and His Punx - Bad Skin

Moon King - Only Child

Mikal Cronin - Get Along

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Speedy Ortiz song is on the album Major Arcana on Carpark Records. Download the song for free at Stereogum.

The Hunx and His Punx song is on the album Street Punk on Hardly Art. Download it for free at Hardly Art.

The Moon King song is on the EP Obsession 1 on One Big Silence. Download it for free at Chromewaves.

The Mikal Cronin song is on his self-titled album on Trouble in Mind Records. Download it for free at Chromewaves.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Direct download: CompCon_283_061813.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 8:50pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Brian Lewandowski as we discuss our status as outsider sports fans in the Boston area. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from David Byrne and St. Vincent, Overseas, John Vanderslice and Stephen Malkmus.

Show notes:

- Recorded on a sweaty night in Beverly, Mass.

- Boston went from Loserville to Titletown

- The legend of Wayne Gretzky started when he was a kid

- Jay: Rooted for the Patriots when they were horrible

- Supporting our teams has been a mostly futile endeavor

- Jay: Reliving the Leafs' horrible choke against Boston

- Big sporting events somehow lead to idiots rioting

- NFL games are much more fun when you watch at home

- Jay: Still go to college hockey games

- Brian wept when his team won college lacrosse championship

- Jay: I want to see the Leafs win the Stanley Cup before I die

- Brian roots for New England Revolution

- Jay: Watching the Leafs in the playoffs is a tense, miserable experience

- Brian: Still hoping Sabres and Bills will win it all

- More "pink hat" fans in Boston

- Jay: I watch every Leafs game no matter how much they suck

- Find Brian's comedy dates and fun stuff at his website

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
David Byrne and St. Vincent - Cissus

Overseas - Old Love

John Vanderslice - Raw Wood

Stephen Malkmus - The Hook

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The David Byrne and St. Vincent song is on the EP Brass Tactics. Download the song from Stereogum.

The Overseas song is on the band's self-titled album on Undertow Music Collective. Download the song for free at Chromewaves.

The John Vanderslice song is on the album Dagger Beach on Secretly Canadian. Download the song for free at Chromewaves.

The Stephen Malkmus song is on his self-titled album on Matador Records. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Direct download: CompCon_282_061113.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 8:58pm EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Brian Lewandowski as we discuss our status as outsider sports fans in the Boston area. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Fidlar, Eddie Spaghetti, TV on the Radio and Archers of Loaf.

Show notes:

- Recorded on a sweaty night in Beverly, Mass.

- Brian changed his standup name to Brian Gerard

- Experimented with different names

- We both grew up elsewhere and moved to New England

- Rooting for non-Boston teams

- Brian grew up in Buffalo, is a big Sabres and Bills fan

- We're used to our teams losing

- Buffalo also had an NBA team in the '70s

- Brian moved to Kentucky as a kid

- Jay moved to southeastern Washington state

- Nobody there knew what hockey was at the time

- Jay: Right after we moved away, a junior hockey team moved to the area

- Jay: Never a fan of the Montreal Canadiens

- The magic of Don Cherry

- Cherry was played by Jared Keeso in a couple of Canadian miniseries

- Brian roots for the Atlanta Braves because he lived there for a while

- Jay: Rooted for Red Sox to win World Series in '04

- Brian's not a fan of the Blue Jays' stadium

- Jay: Grew up going to Blue Jays games when they were a new expansion team

- Jays' farm team is now in Buffalo

- Remembering the Hartford Whalers

- Sabres lost in Stanley Cup finals to Philadelphia in 1975

- Jay: One of my favorite players was Buffalo star Gilbert Perreault

- Big heartbreak for Sabres fans was in '99

- Brett Hull scored Cup-winning goal for Dallas with his skate in the goal crease

- Against the rules but officials didn't overturn it

- Atlanta's attendance problem

- The Bills had four straight Super Bowl losses

- Lamenting lost Super Bowl bets

- Jay: Still stinging from Leafs' game 7 loss to Bruins last month

- Leafs' loss to LA in 1993 also a painful memory

- Blue Jays had some horrible chokes in '85 and '87

- Jay: Joe Carter's World Series-winning homer in '93 was probably my last great sports moment

- To be continued

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Fidlar - Cheap Beer

Eddie Spaghetti - The Value of Nothing

TV on the Radio - Will Do

Archers of Loaf - What Did You Expect?

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Fidlar song is on the band's self-titled album on Mom & Pop Music. Download the song from Chromewaves.

The Eddie Spaghetti song is the track track of his new album The Value of Nothing on Bloodshot Records. Download the song for free at Soundcloud.

The TV on the Radio song is on the album Nine Types of Light on Interscope. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The Archers of Loaf song is a bonus track on the reissue of Icky Mettle on Merge Records. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Direct download: CompCon_281_060413.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 8:49pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Jay Breitling as we discuss some of our favorite compilation albums. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Speedy Ortiz, Thee Oh Sees, Mikal Cronin and The Melvins.

Show notes:

- Recorded at Clicky Clicky world HQ

- Drinkin' beer and talking rock

- Check out JB's new comp, And I Forgot a Long Time Ago How You Feel

- Covers of early period Lilys songs

- JK: Three basic types of comps, not including soundtracks

- Tribute, genre and benefit comps

- No Alternative came out in '93

- We learn more about Lance Diamond

- During the Goo Goo Dolls' last days of non-suckage

- Part of Red Hot series

- JB: Red Hot and Bothered was the indie rock version

- JK: Deadicated was a Grateful Dead tribute featuring the likes of Jane's Addiction, Elvis Costello, Lyle Lovett

- Taping songs off the radio

- JK: The Bridge was a great Neil Young tribute featuring alt-rock artists like Pixies and Sonic Youth

- Lots of tribute comps came out in early '90s

- Now there are string quartet and bluegrass tributes to just about everyone

- Label comps are fun, like What's Up Matador?

- Safe and Sound comp featured Boston bands from mid-'90s

- JB: Simple Machines comp featured great DC acts

- JK: Twisted Willie paid tribute to Willie Nelson

- JB: Darla 100 may have been too long

- JB: Ten Cent Fix was a good one

- JB: Why Do You Think They Call It Pop? was collected by Pop Narcotic

- First SPINart release was One Last Kiss, featuring Swirlies, Small Factory, Velocity Girl

- JB: This is Harrisburg, Not Topeka featured the mighty Torgo, with one Jay Breitling on guitar

- A takeoff of the great This is Boston, Not LA

- Get Jay's comp at Clicky Clicky

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Speedy Ortiz - The Hermit Crab

Thee Oh Sees - Devil Again

Mikal Cronin - Better Man

The Melvins - Dr. Mule

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The song from Speedy Ortiz is available on the compilation And I Forgot a Long Time Ago How You Feel. Download the comp exclusively at ClickyClickyMusic.

The songs from Thee Oh Sees and Mikal Cronin are on the compilation Garage Swim. Download the entire compilation for free at AdultSwim.com.

The Melvins song is on the Scion 10 Series Music Release. Download the song for free at Soundcloud.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Direct download: CompCon_280_052813.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 7:55pm EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Jay Breitling as we discuss the new Lilys tribute compilation he curated. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Pet Milk, Infinity Girl and The Weaks.

Show notes:

- Recorded at Clicky Clicky world HQ

- JB's writing for new music site Vanyaland

- Breitling's second compilation; first one came out a year ago

- Comp's called And I Forgot a Long Time Ago How You Feel

- Covers of early period Lilys songs

- Found bands from Boston and beyond who were Lilys fans

- Would have liked to do this comp first

- Great response to Nofuckingwhere, the first comp

- Ride's management contacted JB

- Future .38 Special comp?

- Shout out to our good friend Mike Piantigini

- Why aren't we getting free beer?

- JB also organized a great benefit show last November

- Starting to plan next benefit for Community Servings

- JB's doing some promo for the comp

- Hasn't talked to Lilys leader Kurt Heasley about the comp

- Last four songs come from album Eccsome the Photon Band

- Would have liked to include some rare tracks

- Get it at Clicky Clicky

- To be continued

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Pet Milk - February Fourteenth

Infinity Girl - Claire Hates Me

The Weaks - Elsa

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The songs from Pet Milk, Infinity Girl and The Weaks are available on the compilation And I Forgot a Long Time Ago How You Feel. Download the comp exclusively at ClickyClickyMusic.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Direct download: CompCon_279_052113.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 7:27pm EDT

Part 3 of my conversation with guest Ric Dube as we dissect a swingin' episode of I Dream of Jeannie. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from At the Drive-In, Shellac and Jawbox.

Show notes:

- Recorded at More Lost Time world HQ

- Watch the episode along with us at the CompCon YouTube channel

- Season 2 of I Dream of Jeannie, episode aired in April 1967

- Larry Hagman, R.I.P.

- Did Americans really throw "mod parties"?

- Pre-Summer of Love '67

- Barbara Eden hasn't really done anything else

- Young Dabney Coleman makes a cameo

- Bill Daily plays the George Costanza-esque sidekick

- Sitcom lies are so badly written

- This show was a clear ripoff of Bewitched

- Jay breaks out his Paul Lynde impression

- Trying to create a new dance craze

- Unrelated sight gag in the kitchen

- Imagining a darker turn of events

- Much of the episode was people dancing

- Dube: Too much plot and not enough going on

- The whole master-servant theme was odd

- Dube goes off on Kate Hudson

- Modern version would make the guy dumb and the woman smarter

- Coming soon: We pitch remakes of old shows

- Lassie reimagined

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
At the Drive-In - One-Armed Scissor

Shellac - Watch Song

Jawbox - 68

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The At the Drive-In song is on the album Relationship of Command on Grand Royal. Download it for free at Epitonic.

The Shellac song is on the album 1000 Hurts on Touch and Go. Download it for free at Epitonic.

The Jawbox song is on the album My Scrapbook of Fatal Accidents on DeSoto Records. Download it for free at Epitonic.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Direct download: CompCon_278_051513.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 8:50pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Ric Dube as we dissect a not-so-classic episode of the Brady Bunch. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from The Gories, King Khan and Mind Spiders.

Show notes:

- Recorded at More Lost Time world HQ

- Watch the episode along with us at the CompCon YouTube channel

- Season 5 of the Brady Bunch, episode aired in January 1974

- Brady Bunch producer used the show to air a pilot for a spinoff

- Ken Berry was the "star"

- Berry was in Disney movies, F Troop, failed pilots, later Mama's Family

- Show's kind of a bummer

- Brady Bunch audience must have been annoyed by lack of Bradys

- Gotta love the racial platitudes

- Where are the blue kids?

- The mini-Warriors

- Berry teaches the kids the ol' soft shoe

- Snobby racist neighbor character

- Groovy Greg Brady makes an appearance

- Dube makes gratuitous Arkancilliopoulos reference

- Pilot was never picked up

- Norman Lear was doing cutting edge racial humor; this show, not so much

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
The Gories - On the Run

King Khan - Strange Ways

Mind Spiders - They Lie

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The songs from the Gories, King Khan and the Mind Spiders are on the Adult Swim compilation Garage Swim. Download the entire compilation for free at AdultSwim.com.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Direct download: CompCon_277_050813.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 11:49pm EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Ric Dube as we dissect a classic mid-1970s song from a Canadian music legend. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Sloan and Stars.

Show notes:

- Recorded at More Lost Time world HQ

- Dissecting Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"

- Song's a total downer, no pun intended

- Based on a true life incident in 1975

- Sounds like Lightfoot put the Wikipedia entry to music

- Checking out the early '70s Canadian band Lighthouse

- Sounds like the Guess Who or Blood, Sweat and Tears

- Lightfoot's "Sundown" is a much better song

- Ric: A little like Velvet Underground's "Loaded"

- Frank Chacksfield, the king of elevator music

- Making slow '70s songs even slower

- Pat Boone and Paul Anka later made entire albums covering hard rock songs

- Anne Murray dominated Canadian radio in the '70s

- Canadian content rule meant a third of music on the radio had to be Canadian

- A random song from The Randoms to wash the MOR crap away

- Teenage Head was an Ontario punk band from the late '70s

- CanCon meant a lot of bands got on the radio that normally wouldn't have

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Sloan - Everything You've Done Wrong

Stars - Hold On When You Get Love and Let Go When You Give It

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Sloan song is on the album One Chord to Another on Murderecords. Download the song for free at Noisetrade.

The Stars song is on the album The North on ATO Records. Download it for free at Epitonic.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Direct download: CompCon_276_043013.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 10:00pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest James Gralian about the post-lockout NHL. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from The Hush Now, Guided By Voices, Iceage and Game Theory.

Show notes:

- Recorded via Skype

- NHL surprises this season include talented teams struggling: Detroit, Philly, Nashville, Tampa

- Philadelphia's long stretch of bad goaltending

- Gotta love Ilya Bryzgalov

- Toronto-Detroit will be in Winter Classic next year

- Chicago's been the best team in the league by far

- The long, strange journey of Ray Emery

- Jay: Making the case for the Leafs

- Pittsburgh messes with success, keeps winning

- Realignment kicks in next season

- Playoff hockey is the best

- James picks a team to root for when the Avs don't make it

- Jay: Just happy to see Leafs in playoffs

- Players rarely stay on same team for entire career

- Rooting for dirty teams

- NHL has come back strong from lockout

- Fighting in hockey at most levels

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
The Hush Now - Marathon Monday

Guided By Voices - Flunky Minnows

Iceage - Morals

Game Theory - Erica's Word

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Hush Now song is available for free download at Clicky Clicky.

The Guided By Voices song is on the album English Little League on GBV Records. Download the song for free at Stereogum.

The Iceage song is on the album You're Nothing on Matador. Download the song for free at MatadorRecords.com.

The Game Theory song is on the album The Big Shot Chronicles. In memory of late Game Theory frontman Scott Miller, you can find all the now out-of-print Game Theory albums available for free download at LoudFamily.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.
Direct download: CompCon_275_042313.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 8:18pm EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guest James Gralian about the post-lockout NHL. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Beck, Buffalo Tom, Dinosaur Jr. and Titus Andronicus.

Show notes:

- Recorded last weekend via Skype

- Last spoke in October before NHL lockout began

- Season relaunched in mid-January and is wrapping up in next few weeks

- Definitely some bitterness when the NHL came back

- James' many online efforts

- JG: Playing hockey has deepened my appreciation for the sport

- NHL teams sign plenty of undrafted college players

- Georges Vezina was known as the Chicoutimi Cucumber

- Jack Falla wrote some great hockey books

- JK: I was mad at both sides after the lockout

- Ended up getting satellite package and following the Leafs anyway

- Greed is a given in pro sports

- The Leafs fired their GM right before season started

- Now they're on the verge of making playoffs for first time in 9 years

- JK remembers the Leafs' 1993 playoff run

- JK: Not a fan of the shootout

- Rough year for James' favorite team, Colorado

- JG: The Avs need to clean house

- To be continued

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Beck - Halo of Gold

Buffalo Tom - Mineral

Dinosaur Jr. - Freak Scene

Titus Andronicus - Titus Andronicus Forever

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Beck song is the B-side to the song "Tropicalia" from the album Mutations. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The Buffalo Tom song is on the album Let Me Come Over on Beggars Banquet. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The Dinosaur Jr. song is on the album Bug on SST. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The Titus Andronicus song is on the album The Monitor on XL Recordings. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.
Direct download: CompCon_274_041713.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 9:50pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Matt Phillion about our narcissistic society. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Thee Oh Sees, Fidlar, The Kills and Drive Like Jehu.

Show notes:

- Anybody can have a show or self-publish a book

- Everybody's a photojournalist now

- Online commenters are the worst

- Talk radio callers are moving online

- Onion AV Club comment sections can be great

- Matt: Arguing on the Internet makes everyone dumber

- So easy to hit "send"

- Begging for RTs from celebs on Twitter is pathetic

- The ridiculousness of Google Glass

- How much information do you really need?

- Can you watch a movie or TV show without checking your phone?

- Staying off social media to avoid spoilers

- The need to live tweet TV shows

- The moviegoing experience sucks

- Matt can go entire days without dealing with a live human

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Thee Oh Sees - Toe Cutter - Thumb Buster

Fidlar - Gimme Something

The Kills - Future Starts Slow

Drive Like Jehu - Caress

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Thee Oh Sees song is on the album Floating Coffin on Castle Face Records. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The Fidlar song is on the band's self-titled album on Mom + Pop. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The Kills song is on the album Blood Pressures on Domino Records. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The Drive Like Jehu song is on the band's self-titled album on Cargo. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.
Direct download: CompCon_273_040913.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 9:28pm EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Matt Phillion about our narcissistic society. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from JEFF the Brotherhood, Le Butcherettes, Sleater-Kinney and Ty Segall.

Show notes:

- Narcissism is on the rise

- Recent study looks at the Internet "narcissism epidemic"

- We are part of the problem

- We're more likely to take photos of injustice than actually help out

- Matt works from home, posts on Facebook to get social interaction

- Some people need to post status updates of their every move

- Gay marriage debate has been ubiquitous on social media

- Linked In endorsements: What's the point?

- Matt's creepy clown photo

- Creating a false impression through upbeat self-promotion

- Selfies are everywhere

- People will do anything to get on TV

- Reality TV has never been more popular

- MySpace was a mess

- Googling yourself is a common activity

- Matt's IMDB page

- To be continued

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
JEFF the Brotherhood - Shredder

Le Butcherettes - Henry Don't Got Love

Sleater-Kinney - Jumpers

Ty Segall - You're the Doctor

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The JEFF the Brotherhood song is on the album We Are the Champions on Infinity Cat Recordings/Warner Music. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The Le Butcherettes song is on the album Sin Sin Sin on Rodriguez Lopez Productions. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The Sleater-Kinney song is on the album The Woods on Sub Pop. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The Ty Segall song is on the album Twins on Drag City. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.
Direct download: CompCon_272_040213.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 9:06pm EDT

Part 3 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we wrap up the CompCon Awards. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Magnolia Electric Co., Dinosaur Jr., Kurt Vile and Dump.

Show notes:

- Recorded via Skype

- Worst Album by Best Band

- Mid-'90s Van Halen was really bad

- George Harrison had some questionable releases in early '80s

- The Clash's Cut the Crap was like a parody of the band

- Best Album by Worst Band

- The Strokes: One-hit-album wonder?

- Jay: Give the band Live credit for somehow having a career

- Best Non-Guitar Solo

- Jay: Looked at instruments other than drums

- Plenty of great bass solos over the years

- Best Live Album

- Stones played faster on Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out

- J. Geils Band were an amazing live act

- Sore Thumb Award for song that doesn't fit on album it's on

- What's the deal with skits on hip-hop albums?

- Best Moustache in Rock

- Jeff "Skunk" Baxter had a classic 'stache

- Zappa was defined by his 'stache

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Magnolia Electric Co. - The Dark Don't Hide It

Dinosaur Jr. - Entertainment

Kurt Vile - Never Run Away

Dump - Superpowerless

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Magnolia Electric Co. song is on the album What Comes After the Blues on Secretly Canadian. Download it for free at Chromewaves.

The Dinosaur Jr. song is a cover of a Phoenix track and is available for free download at Chromewaves.

The Kurt Vile song is on the album Walkin' on a Pretty Daze on Matador Records. Download the song for free at Matador.

The Dump song is on reissue of the album Superpowerless on Morr Music. Download the song for free at Chromewaves.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.
Direct download: CompCon_271_032513.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 6:18pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we continue handing out the CompCon Awards. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Wire, Mikal Cronin, Parquet Courts and Ten Kens.

Show notes:

- Recorded via Skype

- Best Concept Album

- Brian: Not a fan of concept albums

- Jay: Afghan Whigs' Black Love is an underrated classic

- Townshend's book is a good read

- Best Album That Deviates From Band's Sound

- Brian: Prefers later Pavement to earlier stuff

- Tin Machine was welcome change after substandard Bowie albums

- Praising (or not hating) R.E.M.'s Monster

- Paul's Boutique was a masterpiece of sampling

- Best Song by Band Member Who Wasn't Main Songwriter

- Brian: George Harrison rules

- Best Rhythm Guitarist

- Post classic rock era, line between rhythm and lead has blurred

- Lee Ving and Dave Mustaine teamed up

- Bill Ward: Sabbath should give the drummer some

- Best Album Packaging

- Vinyl was the heyday of great packaging

- Zep's In Through the Out Door had several covers

- Music listening experience is less immersive now

- To be continued

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Wire - Love Bends

Mikal Cronin - Shout It Out

Parquet Courts - Stoned and Starving

Ten Kens - When a Door Opens

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Wire song is on the album Change Becomes Us on Pink Flag Records. Download it for free at Stereogum.

The Mikal Cronin song is on the album MCII on Merge Records. Download the song for free at NPR.

The Parquet Courts song is on the album Light Up Gold on Dull Tools/What's Your Rupture. Download the song for free at NPR.

The Ten Kens song is on the album Namesake on Fat Cat Records. Download the song for free at NPR.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.
Direct download: CompCon_270_031813.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 6:34pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guests Ric Dube and Jay Breitling as we dissect a classic episode of the 1970s sitcom What's Happening. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Patrick Stickles and Me & Stupid.

Show notes:

- Recorded at More Lost Time world HQ; check out the 50th episode of MLT (with cameos from Mr. Breitling and myself)

- Inspired by MST3K and Rifftrax, we're commenting while watching video

- Watch the episode along with us at the CompCon YouTube channel

- Breitling joins the fray

- Haywood Nelson was the inspiration for indie rock band Haywood

- JB: The satin jacket died with Rainbow's "All Night Long" video (featuring Graham Bonnet on vocals, not Joe Lynn Turner)

- Enter Big Al Dunbar

- Rerun wore his pants old-man high

- The original discomfort comedy

- Were the Doobies big anti-bootleg advocates?

- Jeff "Skunk" Baxter is a defense industry consultant now

- Baxter's wearing a Warner Bros. jersey

- Rocking out while seated

- Flaming gongs kick ass

- Dee's tripping

- "Pluggin' in the USB"

- Rerun drops tape recorder, feels shame

- The Doobies intimidate Big Al and henchman

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Let the Day Begin

Patrick Stickles - Hey Tonight

Me & Stupid - Receiver

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Black Rebel Motorcycle Club song is on the EP Let the Day Begin. Download it for free (in exchange for your email address) at the band's website.

The Patrick Stickles song is a cover of a Free Energy song and available for free download at Stereogum.

The Me & Stupid song is on the album In a Cabin with Me & Stupid. Download the album for free at the Me & Stupid website.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.
Direct download: CompCon_268_030413.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 9:08pm EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Ric Dube as we dissect a classic episode of the 1970s sitcom What's Happening. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from They Might Be Giants and The Thalia Zedek Band.

Show notes:

- Recorded at More Lost Time world HQ

- Inspired by MST3K and Rifftrax, we're commenting while watching video

- Watch the episode along with us at the CompCon YouTube channel

- What's Happening!! had all the sitcom archetypes

- Formula elements at play

- This was a Very Special Episode

- No continuity in the '70s on TV shows

- The evils of bootlegging

- Check out CompCon episodes 218 and 219 about bootlegs

- Ric: Wonder if there's a bootleg of the Doobies' performance in this show

- Show inspired by the movie Cooley High

- Ric's a fan of Dee

- Did inner city kids really listen to the Doobie Brothers?

- Jay: I rocked the velour shirts back in the day

- Rerun gets roped into the bootlegging world

- All the parodies have been parodied now

- Ric's heard the "Which Doobie You Be?" line a million times

- Doobies are so big they're playing a podunk high school

- Patrick Simmons had a brief solo career

- Michael McDonald's vocal style

- The kids pretend to like the Doobies

- Jeff "Skunk" had magnificent facial hair

- The band Bread appeared on an episode of The Hardy Boys

- Simmons supposedly went to the kids' high school

- Four minutes of scenes from next week

- Theme by Henry Mancini!

- Next week, it's part 2 of the Doobie Brothers episode

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
They Might Be Giants - You're On Fire

Thalia Zedek Band - Walk Away

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The They Might Be Giants song is on the album Nanobots on Idlewild Records. Download it for free at Stereogum.

The Thalia Zedek Band song is on the album Via on Thrill Jockey. Download it for free at Soundcloud.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Direct download: CompCon_267_022613.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 10:52pm EDT

Part 3 of my conversation with guests Mike Piantigini and Brad Searles as we discuss the new music we're looking forward to in 2013. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from The XX, The Thermals, Redd Kross and !!!

Show notes:

- Recorded at Piantigini Place, Somerville, Mass.

- Mike: New Big Dipper album is great

- Bettie Serveert is back with a new release

- Brad: The Neats reunion is happening

- Shockingly, Brad's never been to SXSW

- SXSW has grown into a huge spectacle

- Thumbs up to The Sinclair

- Def Leppard's Vegas residency

- Bob Mould can't play acoustic shows quietly

- Sting's "Back to Bass" tour

- Bands going out on a bad note

- Guitar Hero/Rock Band games flamed out quickly

- Do not taunt the Zoo TV

- Brad and Mike reminisce about the Merge Records 20th anniv. show

- Wilco's Solid Sound Festival is always good

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
The XX - Reconsider

The Thermals - Born to Kill

Redd Kross - Stay Away from Downtown

!!! - Slyd

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The XX song is on the album Coexist on XL Recordings. Download it for free at Chromewaves.

The Thermals song is on the album Desperate Ground on Saddle Creek. Download the song for free (in exchange for your email address) at Soundcloud.

The Redd Kross song is on the album Researching the Blues on Merge Records. Download the song for free at Chromewaves.

The !!! song is on the album Thri!!!er on Warp Records. Download the song for free at Soundcloud.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Direct download: CompCon_266_021913.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 8:01pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guests Mike Piantigini and Brad Searles as we discuss the new music we're looking forward to in 2013. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Low, Thee Oh Sees, Mikal Cronin and Ken Stringfellow.

Show notes:

- Recorded at Piantigini Place, Somerville, Mass.

- The Who's Live at Hull sounds a lot like Live at Leeds

- Hearing bands play old favorites vs. new material

- Selling your music for commercial use

- Pete Townshend was a major solo artist in the '80s

- '80s recording techniques have not aged well

- Debating McCartney's solo work

- Kids these days...

- YouTube as music delivery mechanism

- Not just videos, but full albums and lyric videos

- The sad tale of Myspace

- Bandcamp's fan pages

- Brad: Psyched about new LP from Kid Canaveral

- The death of Lovejoy's, a great Austin dive bar

- Alamo Drafthouse rules

- Brad: Upcoming Mark Kozelek and Album Leaf collaboration

- Indie bands love covering the Misfits

- Bands keep touring without original members (Misfits, Dead Kennedys)

- Violent Femmes are reuniting with original lineup at Coachella

- Prog is coming back

- Brad dug Genesis in the Duke/Abacab era

- "Illegal Alien" is a horrible song

- Long-awaited albums that may never come: Dylan at the Movies, The Wrens

- Brad bets My Bloody Valentine won't release new album by time this airs (he loses bet)

- Mike can't stop talking about his trip to SXSW

- The power of chocolate chip cookies

- Labels are running out of classic rock to reissue, turning to alt-rock

- To be continued

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Low - Just Make It Stop

Thee Oh Sees - Minotaur

Mikal Cronin - Apathy

Ken Stringfellow - Doesn't It Remind You of Something

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Low song is on the forthcoming album The Invisible Way on Sub Pop. Download it for free at SoundCloud.

The Thee Oh Sees song is on the forthcoming album Floating Coffin on the Castle Face label. Download the song for free at Stereogum.

The Mikal Cronin song is on his self-titled album on Trouble in Mind Records. Download the song for free from SoundSpike.

The Ken Stringfellow song is on the album Danzig in the Moonlight on Spark and Shine Records. Download the song for free at Chromewaves.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Direct download: CompCon_265_021113.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 6:10pm EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guests Mike Piantigini and Brad Searles as we discuss what we're looking forward to in 2013, musically speaking. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from The Spinto Band, FIDLAR, King Tuff and The Maccabees.

Show notes:

- Recorded at Piantigini Place, Somerville, Mass.

- Breitling couldn't make it

- Brad: Unusual collaborations including New Medicants (Joe Pernice and Norman Blake), Kristen Hersh and Pond, Greg Dulli and Steve Kilbey

- Hersh is super busy

- Artists escape from the album-tour-album cycle

- Robert Pollard is a freak of nature

- Mike: Replacements cover EP to benefit Slim Dunlap

- Westerberg should tour again

- Axl Rose soldiers on...at his own pace

- Great artists aren't always great businessmen

- Mike watches "Nashville"

- Breitling's list includes the Come reunion

- Come reissue has live set that Brad had hosted on his blog

- Jay: Bowie's back

- New Marnie Stern album on the way

- To be continued

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
The Spinto Band - Shake It Off

FIDLAR - Got No Money

King Tuff - Keep On Movin'

The Maccabees - Go

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Spinto Band song is on the album Cool Cocoon on Spintonic Recordings. Download it for free at Spintonic.

The FIDLAR song is on the EP Don't Try on Mom and Pop Music. Download the song for free at Chromewaves.

The King Tuff song is on the self-titled album on Sub Pop. Download the song for free from Sub Pop.

The Maccabees song is on the album Given to the Wild on Fiction. Download the song for free at Chromewaves.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Direct download: CompCon_264_020413.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 2:08pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Matt Phillion as we discuss our angry society. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from The Joy Formidable, Bad Religion, Screaming Females and Titus Andronicus.

Show notes:

- Recorded at Chez Phillion, Salem, Mass.

- Matt and his siblings got the angry gene

- Be nice to your crazy co-workers

- Copycat wackos

- Blaming the videogames and Hollywood

- Violent movies don't necessarily make you violent

- When you recognize the bank robber

- Matt's been shot at before

- It's unrealistic to think guns are going away

- Who's paranoid? Not us.

- Talk radio is another forum for angry people

- The 2nd Amendment

- Universal healthcare gets people angry

- "People aren't totally shitbags"

- High-powered hunting

- Matt's advocating for an asteroid to wipe us out

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
The Joy Formidable - Wolf's Law

Bad Religion - True North

Screaming Females - Poison Arrow

Titus Andronicus - Upon Viewing Oregon's Landscape with the Flood of Detritus

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Joy Formidable song is on the album Wolf's Law on Atlantic. Download it for free at Chromewaves.

The Bad Religion song is on the band's new album True North on Epitaph. Download the song for free at Chromewaves.

The Screaming Females song is on the cassette-only album Chalk Tape on Don Giovanni. Download the song for free from Stereogum.

The Titus Andronicus song is on the album Local Business on XL Recordings. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Direct download: CompCon_263_012813.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 7:35pm EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Matt Phillion as we discuss anger management. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Mudhoney, Camper Van Beethoven, Guided By Voices and Lovestreams.

Show notes:

- Recorded at Chez Phillion, Salem, Mass.

- The joys of home ownership

- We've talked in the past about profanity and politics, which both tie in to anger

- Many forums available for people to vent anger

- Dealing with crazy co-workers

- Matt's an angry man at times

- Running can be therapeutic...or not

- Getting behind the wheel instantly amplifies anger level

- Road rage is scary

- Are we an angrier society than we used to be?

- Like driving a car, social media makes you a lot braver

- Online comments can be particularly vicious

- Putting up with conflicting opinions on Facebook

- The gun debate has stoked anger on both sides

- Matt has a "Spanish face"

- Matt: The rest of the world sees Americans as "overweight, angry and armed"

- Some friends love to troll "the other side" online

- Seagull Facebook: Fly in, make a bunch of noise, crap on everything and fly away

- Anger is stoked at sporting events

- Alcohol doesn't help

- Giants fan beaten at Dodgers Stadium

- Matt wrecked his shoulder venting on a punching bag

- To be continued

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Mudhoney - The Only Son of the Widow of Nain

Camper Van Beethoven - Someday Our Love Will Sell Us Out

Guided By Voices - She Lives in an Airport

Lovestreams - Shock Corridor

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Mudhoney song is on the forthcoming album Vanishing Point on Sub Pop. Download it for free (in exchange for your email address) at SubPop.com.

The Camper Van Beethoven song is on the band's new album La Costa Perdida on 429 Records. Download the song for free at Soundcloud.

The Guided By Voices song is on the self-released album The Bears for Lunch. Download the song for free from Soundcloud.

The Lovestreams song is available for free download from the Lovestreams Tumblr.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Direct download: CompCon_262_012113.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 4:54pm EDT

This week, I'm joined by guest Brian Lewandowski as he discusses navigating the Boston standup comedy scene. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Iceage, Chelsea Light Moving, Pere Ubu and The Figgs.

Show notes:

- Brian's back doing standup for the last few months

- Did it in the early '90s

- Started working townie bars

- Just stopped and began doing humor writing

- Did an early humor blog that he turned into a self-published book

- Recently decided to get back into comedy

- In college, ran the radio station with Ronnie James Dio's son

- Early heroes were Buddy Hackett, Woody Allen, Steve Martin

- Most comedians are loners

- Took comedy class; one week, Janeane Garofalo was guest instructor

- Hosts comedy nights now

- Dealing with cats in the audience

- Storytelling with embellishments

- Brian interviewed Marc Maron for his blog in the '90s

- The genius of SCTV

- Passing on your sense of humor to your kids

- Brian worked at AMC and Bravo in their early days

- "The Spiteful Salad"

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Iceage - Coalition

Chelsea Light Moving - Empires of Time

Pere Ubu - Free White

The Figgs - Brain Be Gone

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Iceage song is on the album You're Nothing on Matador Records. Download it for free at Pitchfork.

The Chelsea Light Moving song is on the band's self-titled album on Matador Records. Download the song for free at MatadorRecords.com.

The Pere Ubu song is on the album Lady from Shanghai on Fire Records. Download the song for free from Soundcloud.

The Figgs song is on the album The Day Gravity Stopped. Download the song (in exchange for your email address) for free at Noisetrade.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Direct download: CompCon_261_011413.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 7:58pm EDT

Part 3 of my conversation with guests Jay Breitling and Mike Piantigini as we review our favorite music of 2012. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Divine Fits, Golden Gurls, Karl Hendricks Trio, Mark Lanegan Band and Paul Westerberg.

Show notes:

- Recorded at Clicky Clicky world HQ

- Breitling's #3 album of 2012

- Piantigini and Kumar agree on #3

- Stripped down songs

- JB's #2

- Golden Gurls: No relation to Bea Arthur

- MP's #2

- Plenty of Teenage Fanclub activity

- Imagining Breitling as a goth kid

- JK's #2

- The problem with doing covers

- JB's #1

- Piantigini's band Lump once opened for Karl Hendricks Trio

- Metallica owns their own masters

- Bands are now re-recording their classic tracks

- MP's #1 (sort of)

- New Big Dipper album out

- JK's #1

- JB's favorite song of the year

- MP's favorite song

- Westerberg releases material as he records it

- Jason Everman got around

- JK's favorite song

- Breitling's N SYNC sighting

- Trumped by Rock's Destiny's Child sighting

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Divine Fits - Civilian Stripes

Golden Gurls - I Can See the City

Karl Hendricks Trio - The Men's Room at the Airport

Mark Lanegan Band - The Gravedigger's Song

Paul Westerberg - My Road Now

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Divine Fits song is on the album A Thing Called Divine Fits on Merge Records. Download it for free at Epitonic.

The Golden Gurls song is on the self-released album Typo Magic. Download the entire album for free at Bandcamp.

The Karl Hendricks Trio song is on the album The Adult Section on Comedy Minus One Records. Download the song for free from Comedy Minus One.

The Mark Lanegan Band song is on the album Blues Funeral on 4AD. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The Paul Westerberg song was self-released and is available for free download from Stereogum.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian

Direct download: CompCon_260_010713.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 8:47pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guests Jay Breitling and Mike Piantigini as we review our favorite music of 2012. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Hospitality, Mission of Burma, METZ, Johnny Foreigner and A.C. Newman.

Show notes:

- Recorded at Clicky Clicky world HQ

- Breitling's #9 album of 2012

- Piantigini's #9

- The long, strange journey of Drivin N' Cryin

- Kumar's #9

- JB's #8

- MP's #8

- Lou Barlow's talkative

- JK's #8

- JB's #7

- The Breeders are reuniting

- MP's #7

- JK's #7

- Nirvana comparisons abound

- JB's #6

- The Clash meets Big Country

- MP's #6

- JK's #6

- JB's #5

- MP's #5

- JK's #5

- JB's #4

- Hipsters love the cassettes

- In praise of VH's Diver Down

- DLR's ill-fated radio show

- MP's #4

- Prolific Canadian geniuses rule

- JK's #4

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Hospitality - Betty Wang

Mission of Burma - Second Television

METZ - Wet Blanket

Johnny Foreigner - 3 Hearts

A.C. Newman - Encyclopedia of Classic Takedowns

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Hospitality song is on the band's self-titled album on Merge Records. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The Mission of Burma song is on the album Unsound on Fire Records. Download the song for free at Epitonic

The METZ song is on the band's self-titled album on Sub Pop. Download the song for free at Sub Pop.

The Johnny Foreigner song is on the EP Names. Download the song for free at Bandcamp.

The A.C. Newman song is on the album Shut Down the Streets on Matador Records. Download the song for free at MatadorRecords.com.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian

Direct download: CompCon_259_123112.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 8:44am EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guests Jay Breitling and Mike Piantigini as we review our favorite music of 2012. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Sloan, Infinity Girl and Guided By Voices.

Show notes:

- Recorded at Clicky Clicky world HQ

- Brought to you (not really) by Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale

- MP: Saw a lot of older bands this year

- JK: First full album show I saw was Cheap Trick doing "In Color" in '97

- Chloe B. talks about Rudolph

- JB: Most of my favorite albums this year were self-released

- The 12/12/12 benefit had some good performances, especially by The Who

- MP: The Who's Quadrophenia concert was great

- The McCartney-"Nirvana" song was decent

- Praising the Low Times podcast

- JK: "I Want My MTV" is an excellent book

- MP: Favorite live shows included Scud Mountain Boys, New Multitudes, Archers of Loaf

- MP: Also reunions of Small Factory, Human Sexual Response, Fuzzy

- JB: Fave live shows were Johnny Foreigner, Infinity Girl, Autochrome, Midriff Records 10th Anniversary show

- JK: Fave live shows included Afghan Whigs, Bob Mould, Mark Lanegan, Matthew Sweet, Sloan

- The glory days of getting free stuff at college radio stations

- Breitling's #10 album of 2012

- Piantigini's #10

- Kumar's #10

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Sloan - Merry Xmas Everybody

Infinity Girl - Taking Nothing

Guided By Voices - Class Clown Spots a UFO

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Sloan song is available for free download (in return for your email address) from Topspin.

The Infinity Girl song is on the EP Just Like Lovers, which is available for free download at Bandcamp

The Guided By Voices song is on the album Class Clown Spots a UFO on Guided By Voices/Fire Records. Download the song for free at Stereogum.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian

Direct download: CompCon_258_122412.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 12:43pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Ric Dube as we climb aboard and dissect an episode of The Love Boat. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Pile and They Might Be Giants.

Show notes:

- Recorded at More Lost Time world HQ

- Inspired by MST3K and Rifftrax, we're commenting while watching video

- Watch the episode along with us at the CompCon YouTube channel

- Jay: Used to watch Love Boat and Fantasy Island back to back

- Both shows featured cameos from so-called stars

- Episode 23 from season 1, 1978

- Featured Paul Williams, Michele Lee, Marcia Wallace

- Gopher went on to be a Congressman

- Romantic hijinks ensue each week

- Cartoonish male chauvinism

- Let the wacky subplots begin

- Love American Style was the predecessor to The Love Boat

- Booked to the gunnels

- The mysterious sexual allure of Bernie Kopell

- Julie just wants to get some

- The show's like bad improv

- Marcia Wallace is comic relief

- Dick Van Patten played Doc in the Love Boat pilot

- Capt. Stubing is the cruise ship Pepe Le Pew

- The third act results in partner switching

- Paul Williams gets the hot chick

- Gopher nailed Mrs. Krabappel

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Pile - Prom Song

They Might Be Giants - Call You Mom

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Pile song is on the album Dripping. Download it for free on Bandcamp.

The They Might Be Giants song is on the album Nanobots on Idlewild Recordings. Download it for free at Soundcloud.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Direct download: CompCon_257_121712.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 7:22pm EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Ric Dube as we dissect an episode of a classic 1970s detective show. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from The Night Marchers and Divine Fits.

Show notes:

- Recorded at More Lost Time world HQ

- Inspired by MST3K and Rifftrax, we're commenting while watching video

- Watch the episode along with us at the CompCon YouTube channel

- Dube apologizes for his last booze-soaked appearance on the show

- Barnaby Jones was a spinoff of the private investigator drama Cannon

- We're watching the first episode of the series

- Star Buddy Ebsen was Tin Man in Wizard of Oz and Jed Clampett on Beverly Hillbillies

- A Quinn Martin production

- Cool theme song

- Cannon's perpetually hungry

- Barnaby Jones' son is murdered in the opening scene

- Ebsen's performance is flat as a pancake

- A modern-day Barnaby Jones would be played by Hugh Laurie

- "You have a rather distinctive silhouette"

- Kumar confuses Lee Meriwether with Mary Ann Mobley--a common mistake

- Barnaby is decidedly anti-China

- "Could I trouble you for a glass of milk?"

- Dube: Blackmailers never say goodbye on the phone

- By golly, Barnaby figures it all out

- The Random '70s Detective Show Plot Generator

- Next week, we take on an Aaron Spelling production

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
The Night Marchers - All Hits

Divine Fits - For Your Heart

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Night Marchers song is on the forthcoming album Allez Allez on Swami Records. Download it for free on Soundcloud.

The Divine Fits song is on the album A Thing Called Divine Fits on Merge Records. Download it for free at Epitonic.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian

Direct download: CompCon_256_121012.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 7:46pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Dave Brigham about our society's neglect for history. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from The Hush Now, Low, Varsity Drag and The Linus Pauling Quartet.

Show notes:

- Recorded at the BrigHAAAAM Estates

- Dave's doing a reading of one of his short stories on Dec. 11 in Arlington, MA

- Check out Dave's photo blog, The Backside of America

- Kids don't get our references anymore

- Brigham: "Too damn much of everything"

- Reality TV is ubiquitous

- Pop culture ignorance

- Brigham: Even a Luddite like me buys digital music

- Knowledge of older bands is limited now

- Talking to kids about history and current events

- Don't let our kids watch TV newscasts

- We shelter our kids these days

- Playground education

- The ads during televised sporting events are all about "cars, boners and beer"

- Parents may filter too much

- Can we fix our lack of historical knowledge?

- We can try to encourage kids to take an interest

- Collecting baseball cards was a fun hobby

- Too much focus on present and future to look at the past

- American populace is fairly passive about major problems

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
The Hush Now - I'm Always Broke in December

Low - Waiting (live)

Varsity Drag - Animal

The Linus Pauling Quartet - Crom

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Hush Now song is available for free download at Bandcamp.

The Low song is on the live EP Plays Nice Places. Download it for free (in exchange for your email address) at Sub Pop.

The Varsity Drag song is on the album Night Owls and is available for free download at Bandcamp.

The Linus Pauling Quartet song is on the album Bag of Hammers on Musebox Records. Download it for free from Spinner.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his site PodGeek.
Direct download: CompCon_255_120312.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 8:02pm EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Dave Brigham about our society's neglect for history. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Interpol, Parquet Courts, The Bohannons and Titus Andronicus.

Show notes:

- Recorded at the BrigHAAAAM Estates

- Dave's doing a reading of one of his short stories on Dec. 11 in Arlington, MA

- Brigham: Working as a volunteer archivist uncovers interesting finds

- Check out Dave's photo blog, The Backside of America

- You can find lots of hidden historical discoveries when you pay attention

- Kumar: Our culture is so focused inward that we forget about history

- Brigham: Finding old collection of dad's military stuff sparked interest in history

- The 2010s are much more of a "Me Decade" than the 1970s

- Dave's got a dumb phone instead of a smart phone

- American Girl dolls focus on historical settings

- History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of man

- "Kids these days..."

- The Petraeus scandal: How is it possible to send 30,000 pages of emails?

- Any technological advance tends to get folks distracted: TV, radio, the car

- To be continued

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Interpol - Roland (demo)

Parquet Courts - Light Up Gold

The Bohannons - Goodbye Bill

Titus Andronicus - Ecce Homo

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Interpol song is on the Tenth Anniversary Edition reissue of Turn on the Bright Lights on Matador Records. Download the song for free from MatadorRecords.com.

The Parquet Courts song is on the album Light Up Gold on Dull Tools Records. Download it for free at Stereogum.

The Bohannons song is on the album Unaka Rising on This is American Music. Download it for free from Soundcloud.

The Titus Andronicus song is on the album Local Business on XL Recordings. Download it for free from Epitonic.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his site PodGeek.
Direct download: CompCon_254_112612.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 8:08pm EDT

Part 3 of my conversation with guest Ric Dube as we dissect a legendary 1970s boogie rock classic. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Titus Andronicus, The Henry Clay People and Action Jets.

Show notes:

- Recorded late at night at More Lost Time world HQ

- "Smokin' in the Boys Room" came out in 1973, was revived in the Ramones movie Rock 'n Roll High School

- Ric questions the deeper meanings of the song: Is it about drugs, sex or both?

- Rebellion took on a much different meaning in the '70s

- 12 years later, Motley Crue covered the song and hit #16 on the charts

- Cub Koda reportedly influenced stage style of Peter Wolf of J. Geils Band

- Brownsville Station's had a radio "hit" called "Martian Boogie"

- Seven minutes of cheesy effects and stupidity

- ZZ Top was much better at boogie rock

- Koda was making rockabilly solo albums on the side and selling them himself

- Not many weed songs in rock anymore

- Dube talks about the origins of beatboxing, in 1971 from a band called The Counts

- Those awkward moments watching risque TV with your parents

 

Music:
Titus Andronicus - In a Big City

The Henry Clay People - Everybandweeverloved

Action Jets - Rock Like Pollard

 

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

 

The Titus Andronicus song is on the album Local Business on XL Recordings. Download it for free from Epitonic.

The Henry Clay People song is on the album Twenty-Five for the Rest of Our Lives on TBD Records. Download the song for free from Soundcloud.

The Action Jets song is available for free download from Soundcloud.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his site PodGeek.

Direct download: CompCon_253_112012.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 8:25pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Ric Dube as we dissect a cheesy '80s classic. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Kevin Bowe, Johnny Foreigner and Chris Stamey.

Show notes:

- Recorded at More Lost Time world HQ

- A little background on David Geddes

- Early Geddes song sounds like "Rhinestone Cowboy," which came out later

- The same backing bands played on all the bubblegum pop records of the '70s

- Dube made a video "A Decent Saturday," depicting a day at a NH record store

- The Dirty Dancing soundtrack was a monster hit

- Benny Mardones had a hit with "Into the Night" in 1980

- Kumar: Mardones was going for an Eddie Money thing

- Male facelifts are unsettling

- The "Into the Night" video is creepy

- First line of the song: "She's just 16 years old..."

- Dube: All videos should have flying carpets in them

- Co-written by Robert Tepper

- Our friend Rob Hallworth became obsessed with Tepper

- Mardones liked writing ballads

- Tepper had his one hit on the Rocky 4 soundtrack

- On the cover of Foreigner's Head Games album

- They went from offensive to bland in only a few years

- Dube wants Mudhoney to cover "Double Vision"

- Doesn't matter who's singing for Foreigner or Journey

- Aerosmith was all over the Armageddon soundtrack thanks to Liv Tyler

- The Nic Cage effect

- To be continued

Music:
Kevin Bowe (feat. Paul Westerberg) - Everybody Lies

Johnny Foreigner - 3 Hearts

Chris Stamey - Astronomy

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Kevin Bowe song is on the album Natchez Trace on Okemah Prophets. Download it for free at RollingStone.com.

The Johnny Foreigner song is on the band's EP NAMES, which you can download for free from Bandcamp.

The Chris Stamey song is on the album Lovesick Blues on Yep Roc. Download the song for free as part of a sampler (in exchange for your email address) from NoiseTrade.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his site PodGeek.

Direct download: CompCon_252_111212.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 8:45pm EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Ric Dube as we dissect another lost '70s pop hit. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Telekinesis, Endless Jags and Guided By Voices.

Show notes:

- Recorded at More Lost Time world HQ

- Latest More Lost Time episode features The Good Rats

- "Run Joey Run" was revived by the TV show Glee

- Geddes has a Neil Diamond-esque delivery

- Another story song

- Dube is skeptical of the premise

- The girl in this song could be the same one from "The Leader of the Pack"

- Song hit #4 on singles chart in fall of 1975

- Geddes was in psychedelic band called The Fredric

- Kumar: Title reminds me of the TV show Run Joe Run

- About a German shepherd wanted for a crime he didn't commit

- Dube breaks out a show promo about a guy wanted for a crime he DID commit

- Geddes followed up "Run Joey Run" with a baseball-themed song, "Last Game of the Season"

- Another song with a character who dies

- Geddes also released a disco song

- Producer also created the song "Disco Spaceship" by Laurie Marshall

- Dube has no use for "singers"

- Geddes' late '60s sound recalls Lee Hazelwood and Nancy Sinatra's "Some Velvet Morning"

- Dube: Watching music videos from that time is difficult

- To be continued

Music:
Telekinesis - Clock Strikes Midnight

Endless Jags - Seen Men

Guided By Voices - I'll Replace You With Machines

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Telekinesis song was released for Halloween. Download it for free at SoundCloud.

The Endless Jags song is on the band's self-titled EP, which you can download for free from Bandcamp

The Guided By Voices song is on the album Earthquake Glue on Matador Records. Download the song for free from Epitonic.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his site PodGeek.

Direct download: CompCon_251_110512.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 8:31pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Jay Breitling as we discuss movie soundtracks. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Parquet Courts, Two Gallants, Lefty's Deceiver and Sonic Youth.

Show notes:

- Recorded at Chez Breitling

- John Hughes championed synth-pop in his movies

- Cameron Crowe's Singles was timed perfectly with the emergence of Seattle scene

- The Repo Man soundtrack featured some classic punk tracks

- Concert soundtracks can be hit or miss

- Pink Floyd's The Wall soundtrack differed a bit from the album

- This is Spinal Tap is a classic

- Floyd's music appeared on some late '60s/early '70s soundtracks

- Wang Chung did the soundtrack for To Live and Die in LA

- Soundtracks can bring out some truly awful songs

- Bryan Adams/Sting/Rod Stewart did "All For Love" from Three Musketeers soundtrack

- We look up stuff on the Internet

- Plenty of bad soundtrack songs from Cheap Trick, Seger, ex-Eagles

- Dirty Dancing was a monstrous success

- Kumar: Reality Bites was annoying

- Breitling recommends Urgh! A Music War

Music:
Parquet Courts - Borrowed Time

Two Gallants - My Love Won't Wait

Lefty's Deceiver - Horizon is Faster

Sonic Youth - Dirty Boots

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Parquet Courts song is on the album Light Up Gold on Dull Tools Records. Download it for free at RCRDLBL.

The Two Gallants song is on the album The Bloom and the Blight on ATO Records. Download the song for free as part of the ATO Records 2012 Fall Music Sampler (in exchange for your email address) at ATO Records.

The Lefty's Deceiver song is on the album Process Junior on My Pal God Records. Download the song for free from Epitonic.

The Sonic Youth song is on the album Goo on Geffen Records. Download the song for free from Epitonic.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his site PodGeek.

Direct download: CompCon_250_102912.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 10:14am EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Jay Breitling as we discuss movie soundtracks. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Ty Segall, Spider Bags, METZ and Mission of Burma.

Show notes:

- Recorded at Chez Breitling

- Breitling: The Rocky soundtrack was big in his childhood in Philly

- Soundtracks went from simple scores to multiple artists

- Hulk Hogan's sex tape nearly ruined the Internet

- "Rock Around the Clock" made its mark

- Elvis, Beatles both used soundtracks well

- Having kids forces you to listen to children's movie soundtracks

- Kenny Loggins built his career around soundtrack hits

- The '80s saw numerous videos for soundtrack songs featuring clips from movie

- Journey contributed to the Tron soundtrack

- Heavy Metal soundtrack featured two different songs called "Heavy Metal"

- Soundtracks were a way for artists to keep their name out there between albums

- Breitling: Fond memories of the Xanadu soundtrack

- Kumar: Remember digging Frankie Valli's title track of the Grease soundtrack

- Rap and rock met in the Judgment Night soundtrack

- Jon Cafferty and Beaver Brown became big thanks to the movie Eddie and Cruisers

- Elliott Smith's contributions to Good Will Hunting made him a household name

- Rock artists like Mark Mothersbaugh and Danny Elfman became film composers

Music:
Ty Segall - Femme Fatale

Spider Bags - Friday Night

METZ - Headache

Mission of Burma - 2wice

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Ty Segall song is on the compilation The Velvet Underground & Nico by Castle Face and Friends on Castle Face Records. Download it for free at Stereogum.

The Spider Bags song is on the album Shake My Head. Download the song for free at Bandcamp.

The METZ song is on the band's self-titled debut on Sub Pop. Download the song for free from Sub Pop.

The Mission of Burma song is on the album The Obliterati on Matador Records. Download the song for free from Epitonic.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his site PodGeek.

Direct download: CompCon_249_102212.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 9:30pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest James Gralian as we discuss the latest NHL lockout. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from The Hush Now, Wintersleep, Benjamin Gibbard and METZ.

Show notes:

- Recorded via Skype

- Check out James' blog Jerseys and Hockey Love

- The Bruins may lose much of the goodwill they gained from their Cup win

- The Panthers fired their mascot, the NHL's cutting staff hours

- Preparing for post-lockout play

- Fantasy hockey leagues are on hold

- James is certified to be a hockey ref

- Watching other sports instead

- Going to rock shows is a nice alternative

- Jay: Saw PiL open for INXS at Radio City, 1988

- James: Good college hockey in the Denver area

- Players are more bitter this time around

- Lockout impacts many people beyond players and owners

- Hockey bloggers gained prominence during last lockout

- Life goes on

- With no hockey, fans are finding they're saving a lot of money

- Jay: I'm okay with shorter regular season

- James recommends the movie "Goon"

- Kudos to the Red Wings

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
The Hush Now - The Flapper

Wintersleep - Martyr

Benjamin Gibbard - Teardrop Windows

METZ - Wet Blanket

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Hush Now song is the band's 2012 Halloween single. Download it for free (in exchange for your email address) from Bandcamp.

The Wintersleep song is an unreleased track available for free download at Wintersleep.com.

The Benjamin Gibbard song is on the album Former Lives on Barsuk Records. Download the song for free from Chromewaves.

The METZ song is on the band's self-titled debut on Sub Pop. Download the song for free from Pitchfork.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his site PodGeek.

Direct download: CompCon_248_101512.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 9:00pm EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guest James Gralian as we discuss the latest NHL lockout and why we still give a damn about hockey. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Ceremony, The Mountain Goats, Allo Darlin' and Yo La Tengo.

Show notes:

- Recorded via Skype

- Check out James' blog Jerseys and Hockey Love

- Seems like we just had a lockout...wiping out 2004-05 season

- NHL cancelled first two weeks of regular season

- Players are heading to play in Europe

- James: Annoyed at the NHL, still love the sport

- Plenty of other teams to support: Minor league, college, high school

- Jay: Went to more college games during last lockout

- Looks like this lockout could be a long one

- Jay: The burden of being a Leafs fan

- During lockouts, fans find other things to do

- Fans will come back, but lockouts are costly

- True fans really love the game

- Possibility of a new team in the Toronto area

- Support for the Leafs in Toronto is similar to Red Sox popularity in New England

- The strange journey of Tim Thomas

- LA Kings won the Cup and have to wait to raise the banner

- Replacement players have been tried in NFL, MLB before

- NFL just had embarrassing episode with replacement refs

- Will non-NHL hockey players want to become scabs?

- New minor league team in Denver

- Hard to say whether NHL season will be saved

- NHL commish Gary Bettman is very powerful

- Hard for fans to sympathize with either side

- To be continued

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Ceremony - Everything Burns

The Mountain Goats - Cry for Judas

Allo Darlin' - Capricornia

Yo La Tengo - Stupid Things

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Ceremony song is from a split 7-inch with Titus Andronicus. Download it for free from Matador Records.

The Mountain Goats song is on the album Transcendental Youth on Merge Records. Download the song for free from SoundCloud.

The Allo Darlin' song is on the album Europe on Slumberland Records. Download the song for free from IODA Promonet.

The Yo La Tengo song is on the EP Stupid Things on Matador Records. Download the song for free from Epitonic.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his site PodGeek.

Direct download: CompCon_247_100912.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 7:42pm EDT

It's a new installment of Driving with Kumar as I celebrate another birthday and reflect on my 45 years of existence. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Jason Collett, Rye Coalition and Girls Against Boys.

Show notes:

- Driving to NH to run a half marathon

- Another birthday has come and gone

- Facebook changes the meaning of "friend"

- Turning 21 is a big deal

- 30 was a milestone

- Dealing with parental expectations

- Wasn't ready for marriage and/or fatherhood in my 20s

- Got married at 32

- Living alone has its pros and cons

- My job isn't my life

- Didn't take a lot of risks in my work life

- Kind of fell into a journalism career

- No regrets

- Watched a good friend take a chance, turn it into career

- Can't spend much time wondering about what ifs

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Jason Collett - I Wanna Rob a Bank

Rye Coalition - Communication Breakdance

Girls Against Boys - Super-Fire

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Jason Collett song is on the album Reckon on Arts and Crafts. Download it for free from SoundCloud.

The Rye Coalition song is on the EP Jersey Girls on Tiger Style Records. Download the song for free from Epitonic.

The Girls Against Boys song is on the album House of GVSB on Touch and Go Records. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his site PodGeek.

Direct download: CompCon_246_100212.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 7:14pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Matt Phillion as we discuss the sad state of political discourse. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Paul Westerberg, Robert Pollard, A.C. Newman and Hot Snakes.

Show notes:

- Matt doesn't like awkward stuff, avoids those types of campaign clips

- They built their campaign around it

- Tim Thomas vs. the White House

- Facebook is full of Constitutional scholars

- Matt is on Romneycare

- Running for office requires a boring past

- You can't escape your past...especially when you post it on Facebook

- Europe isn't exactly running smoothly, either

- Everybody's in a cocoon here

- Matt overuses social media because he's self-employed

- The Internet has made people lazy about research

- Matt wrote a dating column for a while

- When AOL started, emails would delete after 30 days

- The Internet has changed the way we learn about each other

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Paul Westerberg - My Road Now

Robert Pollard - Who's Running My Ranch

A.C. Newman - Encyclopedia of Classic Takedowns

Hot Snakes - Light Up the Stars

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Paul Westerberg song was released last week to the I Will Dare blog. Download it for free from I Will Dare.

The Robert Pollard song is on the album Jack Sells the Cow on Fire Records. Download the song for free from SoundCloud.

The A.C. Newman song is on the album Shut Down the Streets on Matador Records. Download the song for free at Stereogum.

The Hot Snakes song is on the album Automatic Midnight on Swami Records. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his site PodGeek.

Direct download: CompCon_245_092412.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 8:54pm EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Matt Phillion as we discuss the sad state of political discourse. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Paul Banks, Cat Power, Aimee Mann and the Electric Six.

Show notes:

- Election year's in high gear

- Local elections provide personal access

- My kids are scaring Phillion away from fatherhood

- Blown off by the lieutenant governor

- Mass. senate race has been heated

- The power of SuperPACs

- Candidates are puppets of the money behind them

- Dumbing down the message

- Mass. voters went for Republican governors from '91 to '07

- Big speeches with no substance in them

- All political claims need to be fact-checked

- Tough times for journalism

- Dealing with political posts on Facebook

- The conventions are cheerleading camps

- Most voters have already made up their minds

- Do the Republicans really want to win in 2012?

- Congress sucks, too

- Can the government actually get anything done?

- It's not as simple as red state vs. blue state

- Facebook posts aren't changing anyone's mind

- The Democratic platform and mentions of God

- A bitter idealist

- The stuff you post on FB could come back to haunt you

- To be continued

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Paul Banks - The Base

Cat Power - Cherokee

Aimee Mann - Charmer

Electric Six - Danger! High Voltage

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Paul Banks song is on the album Banks on Matador Records. Download it for free from MatadorRecords.com.

The Cat Power song is on the album Sun on Matador Records. Download the song for free from MatadorRecords.com.

The Aimee Mann song is the title track of the album Charmer on SuperEgo Records. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The Electric Six song is on the album Fire on XL Recordings. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his site PodGeek.

Direct download: CompCon_244_091812.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 6:44pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Ric Dube as we travel back in time and analyze two big hits from the 1970s. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Divine Fits and The Raveonettes.

Show notes:

- Recorded at More Lost Time world headquarters

- The return of song analysis

- Learning more about Rupert Holmes

- "Escape" tells a depressing tale in a lighthearted way

- Seeking a new soulmate through the personal ads

- Song ends with a wacky twist

- Jay used to belt out Holmes' "Him" in the newsroom of the college paper

- He sings the guitar solo to save money

- Digging into the rest of the album

- Rupert writes about anything like, say, his answering machine

- Holmes did a lot of work in theater and TV

- Wrote songs for "A Star is Born," the Streisand-Kristofferson movie

- "Him" as performed by Barry White

- Clearly inspired by Manilow

- "Copacabana" was a huge disco hit

- Everything was coke-fueled in the '70s and '80s

- Manilow's go-to move was the sweeping ballad

- Manilow's "Bermuda Triangle" was a clear inspiration for Rupert

- Barry found a winning formula

- Gotta love the irony that he didn't write "I Write the Songs"

- We Manil-OD'd

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Divine Fits - Would That Not Be Nice

The Raveonettes - She Owns the Streets

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Divine Fits song is on the album A Thing Called Divine Fits on Merge Records. Download it for free from Chromewaves.

The Raveonettes song is on the album Observator on Vice Records. Download the song for free from KEXP.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his site PodGeek.

Direct download: CompCon_243_091212.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 8:48pm EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Ric Dube as we travel back in time and analyze a big hit from the 1970s. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from A.C. Newman and Yuck.

Show notes:

- Recorded at More Lost Time world headquarters

- The return of song analysis

- What's the deal with Bette Midler?

- Woody Allen's curious role in Scenes From a Mall

- Check out Ric's podcast More Lost Time

- Trucking was a big pop culture fad for a few years in the '70s

- C.W. McCall's "Convoy" was such a big hit they made a movie based on it

- Discovered by the dude behind the Mannheim Steamroller

- McCall didn't sing so much as talk over music

- Sounds like Charlie Daniels' "Devil Went Down to Georgia"

- Convoy did indeed have a soundtrack album

- Digging deeper into the McCall catalog

- Randy Travis is walking the walk

- Ric: Zappa music just sounds like commercials

- Ol' C-Dub just kept on making trucker songs

- McCall starts doing really bad accents of foreign truckers

- He wrote a song about the infamous George Brett "pine tar incident"

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
A.C. Newman - I'm Not Talking

Yuck - Shook Down

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The A.C. Newman song is on the forthcoming album Shut Down the Streets on Matador Records. Download it for free from MatadorRecords.com.

The Yuck song is on the band's self-titled album on Fat Possum Records. Download the song for free from Epitonic.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his site PodGeek.

Direct download: CompCon_242_090312.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 7:47pm EDT

Part 3 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we discuss our favorite solo artists. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Robert Plant, Frank Black and the Catholics and Sloan.

Show notes:

- Re-recorded via Skype

- Jay: Robert Plant's music has evolved since Zeppelin's breakup

- Brian: John,  Paul and George in a three-way tie

- Harrison's All Things Must Pass is a standout

- McCartney's good when he works with others (Elvis Costello, Youth)

- Jay: Favorite solo artist is Pete Townshend

- His three early '80s solo albums were excellent

- Last 25 years have been focused on Who tours

- Jay: Rod Stewart's solo career has been mostly awful

- His work in Faces, Jeff Beck Group and first few solo releases was strong

- Brian: Jagger should not be allowed to make solo albums

- Jay: Keith Richards' solo work is good

- Jay: The four guys in Sloan should each release solo records simultaneously a la KISS

- Brian: Steven Drozd would make an interesting solo album

- Brian: Rivers Cuomo should make a stripped-down, non-Weezer record

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Robert Plant - Little Hands

Frank Black and the Catholics - Nadine

Sloan - Coax Me

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Robert Plant song is on the compilation More Oar: A Tribute to the Skip Spence Album on Birdman Records. Download it for free from Epitonic.

The Frank Black and the Catholics song is on the album Show Me Your Tears on SpinART. Download the song for free from Epitonic.

The Sloan song is on the album Twice Removed on Geffen. Download the song for free (in exchange for your email address) at NoiseTrade.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his site PodGeek.

Direct download: CompCon_241_082512.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 9:44am EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we discuss our favorite solo artists. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Peter Gabriel and David Byrne.

Show notes:

- Re-recorded via Skype

- Brian: Ray Davies has made two great solo albums

- NBC cut Davies from Olympics closing ceremony broadcast

- Jay: Ted Leo has been consistently great for the last decade

- Brian: After Roxy Music, Brian Eno went on to long and interesting career

- Jay: Neil Young has been erratic, but when he's on, he's great

- Brian: Jonathan Richman has moved from post-punk hero to troubadour

- Jay: Peter Gabriel is much more than "Sledgehammer" and "Solsbury Hill"

- Moved past the crazy costumes he wore live with Genesis

- Brian: David Byrne continues to make interesting music

- Jay: Mark Lanegan's post-Screaming Trees career has been varied and uniformly excellent

- To be continued

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - Under the Hedge

Peter Gabriel - Here Comes the Flood (live)

David Byrne - Fuzzy Freaky (remix)

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Ted Leo and the Pharmacists song is on the album The Tyranny of Distance on Lookout Records. Download it for free from Epitonic.

The Peter Gabriel song was recorded for the Guitar Center Sessions in 2010. Download the song for free at PeterGabriel.com/GuitarCenter.

The David Byrne song is on the album Visible Man on Luaka Bop. Download the song for free at IODAPromonet.com.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his site PodGeek.

Direct download: CompCon_240_081812.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 7:22am EDT

I celebrate six big years of podcasting with part 1 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we discuss our favorite solo artists. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Bob Mould, Ryan Adams, Mike Watt and Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks.

Show notes:

- Recorded via Skype

- Brian contends that Bob Mould's work in Sugar is better than Husker Du; Jay vehemently disagrees

- Jay: Elliott Smith went in a different direction after Heatmiser

- Are Josh Homme or Dave Grohl considered solo artists?

- Jay: Lennon and McCartney both made great albums on their own, but also some clunkers

- Jay: Michael Jackson became probably the biggest artist of all time

- Ozzy's early solo work was terrific

- The ridiculous story behind Sabbath's Born Again album

- Paul Simon's still going strong

- Phil Collins was huge in the '80s

- Brian: Mike Nesmith's early solo work was excellent

- Jay: Nick Cave forged a dark path after The Birthday Party

- Brian: Ryan Adams made a classic album and several good ones

- Mike Watt's soldiered on over the years

- Jay: Stephen Malkmus has been consistently good since Pavement

- Brian prefers the later Pavement albums

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Bob Mould - A Good Idea (live)

Ryan Adams - Shakedown on 9th Street (live)

Mike Watt - Against the '70s (live)

Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - (Do Not Feed the) Oyster

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Bob Mould song is on the EP Live at the Bottom of the Hill. Download it for free (in exchange for your email address) from New.Official.fm.

The Ryan Adams song was recorded live at the Orpheum Theatre in Boston on 2/21/09. Download the song for free at Archive.org.

The Mike Watt song was recorded live at the Metro in Chicago on 5/6/95. Download the song for free at Archive.org.

The Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks song is from the album Pig Lib on Matador Records. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his site PodGeek.
Direct download: CompCon_239_080712.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 10:18pm EDT

Another installment of Driving With Kumar as I discuss the generation gap that exists in pop culture. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Chelsea Light Moving, The XX, Blur and Mean Creek.

Show notes:

- Recorded on the way to WFNX Boston Accents farewell show in Allston

- WFNX has been replaced by The Harbor, a "Variety Hits" station

- FNX lasted 29 years

- Driving through another torrential rainstorm

- Generation gap in music fandom driven by a couple of NPR blog posts

- Intern wrote about how she never pays for recorded music

- Ignited industry debate, including a battle of blog posts between David Lowery and Dave Allen

- Another post had an intern reviewing Public Enemy's It Takes a Nation of Millions...

- Kid wasn't born when the album came out in 1988

- His love of hip-hop is defined by current artists like Drake

- Couldn't relate to PE's intensity

- I was struck by the lack of knowledge or interest in older music

- Get off my lawn

- As a kid, I was fascinated by music that came out in the previous few decades

- Much easier now to hear music at a moment's notice

- I blame it on sensory overload

- You're going to listen to what your friends dig

- Can't blame kids for not knowing about older acts

- I'm not trying to get my own kids to listen to my music

- Enjoy the rhythmic sounds of nature pounding on my car roof

- The world is much faster

- Technology is advancing at amazing speeds

- Rain stops right as I get into the city

- Remembering the early MP3 players

- Some kids are getting into vinyl and cassettes

- Many old pop cultural references are lost on the young

- It's not too late for kids to learn about older music

- Plenty of great new music out there, too

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Chelsea Light Moving - Frank O'Hara Hit

The XX - Angels

Blur - The Puritan

Mean Creek - Young & Wild

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Chelsea Light Moving song is available for free download from Matador Records.

The XX song is on the forthcoming album Coexist on Young Turks. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The Blur song is the B-side of the band's self-released 12-inch Under the Westway. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The Mean Creek song is from the forthcoming album Youth Companion on Old Flame Records. Download the song for free as part of the Boston Accents Funeral Party Soundtrack on Bandcamp.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his site PodGeek.
Direct download: CompCon_238_073012.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 7:56pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Jay Breitling as we discuss our favorite music of the first half of 2012. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Future Carnivores, Mark Lanegan Band, Soccer Mom and Dinosaur Jr.

Show notes:

- Recorded at Clicky Clicky World HQ

- Kumar: New Van Halen album much better than expected

- Breitling: Future Carnivores brings a new wave sound

- Breitling enjoys the Eddie Money jams

- Forced to listen to Starship

- Kumar: Check out the book I Want My MTV

- Kumar: Lanegan goes way beyond straightahead rock

- Breitling: Ride tribute comp features Boston acts

- Get Geddy Lee on the show

- Kumar: Digging the new Rush album

- New Metric album is strong

- Heavy Blanket features Mascis with guitar instrumentals

- Ty Segall was not in Under Siege 2

- Breitling: Looking forward to new release from Everyone Everywhere

- Breitling: New band called Dikembe (no relation to Mutombo) recalls mid-90s emo

- New Dino Jr. due out in the fall

- Kumar: Need to check out new Future of the Left, Henry Clay People

- Kumar's "skeptible" of Spin's Twitter reviews

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Future Carnivores - Drugs (demo)

Mark Lanegan Band - The Gravedigger's Song

Soccer Mom - Dreams Burn Down

Dinosaur Jr. - Watch the Corners

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Future Carnivores song is a demo from the band's forthcoming second album. Download the song for free from ClickyClickyMusic.com.

The Mark Lanegan Band song is on the album Blues Funeral on 4AD. Download the song for free (in exchange for your email address) at MarkLanegan.com.

The Soccer Mom song is on the compilation NOFUCKINGWHERE. Download the song for free at ClickyClickyMusic.com.

The Dinosaur Jr. song is from the forthcoming album I Bet on Sky on Jagjaguwar Records. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his site PodGeek.
Direct download: CompCon_237_072312.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 7:21pm EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Jay Breitling as we discuss our favorite music of the first half of 2012. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Golden Gurls, Cloud Nothings, Autochrome, Torche, Karl Hendricks Trio and Guided By Voices.

Show notes:

- Recorded at Clicky Clicky World HQ

- Kumar: New Smashing Pumpkins ain't bad

- Breitling: Golden Gurls do not feature Bea Arthur but do rock

- Kumar: High on Fire brings metallic fury

- Kumar: Check out Henry Rollins' great radio show

- Breitling: Former Books leader Zammuto released terrific album

- Kumar: Cloud Nothings are young and really good

- Breitling: Boston act Autochrome brings the post-punk

- WFNX's demise will result in two streaming stations

- Kumar: Torche is heavy and poppy

- Breitling: Check out Big Science

- Dumb band name: The Internet

- Kumar: Japandroids unleash unbridled fury

- Breitling: Karl Hendricks Trio back with another great record

- Kumar: GBV returns with the classic lineup

- Breitling: Infinity Girl debut features quality shoegaze

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Golden Gurls - Excited

Cloud Nothings - No Future/No Past

Autochrome - We Are the System

Torche - Kicking

Karl Hendricks Trio - The Men's Room at the Airport

Guided By Voices - The Unsinkable Fats Domino

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Golden Gurls song is from the album Typo Magic. Download the song and the album for free at GoldenGurls.Bandcamp.com.

The Cloud Nothings song is on the album Attack on Memory on Carpark Records. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The Autochrome song is on the album Separation Realms. Download the song for free (in exchange for your email address) at Bandcamp.

The Torche song is from the album Harmonicraft on Volcom Entertainment. Download the song for free (in exchange for your email address) at TorcheMusic.

The Karl Hendricks Trio song is on the album The Adult Section on Comedy Minus One Records. Download the song for free from Comedy Minus One.

The Guided By Voices song is on the album Let's Go Eat the Factory on Guided By Voices Records. Download the song for free at GBVDigital.com.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his site PodGeek.

Direct download: CompCon_236_071612.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 9:38pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Christian Douglass as we talk about the state of the book industry. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from The Henry Clay People, Japandroids, The Hives and Wye Oak.

Show notes:

- Recorded in Beverly, Mass.

- Christian: So many good books go undiscovered

- Kindles and other e-readers have people reading

- Attitudes towards owning music and books change as folks get older

- Jay: My kids are still reading books

- The debate over digital media and artist royalties rages on in music industry

- Different revenue models: Amanda Palmer raised over $1 mil on Kickstarter for new album

- That won't work for artists without huge followings, though

- The popularity of oral histories

- Crafting an oral history involves skill in selecting right quotes, telling a story

- "Narrative non-fiction" is an interesting sub-genre

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
The Henry Clay People - 25 for the Rest of Our Lives

Japandroids - The Nights of Wine and Roses

The Hives - High School Shuffle

Wye Oak - Spiral

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Henry Clay People song is from the album Twenty-Five for the Rest of Our Lives on TBD Records. Download the song for free at HenryClayPeople.com.

The Japandroids song is on the album Celebration Rock on Polyvinyl Records. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The Hives song is on the album Lex Hives on Disques Hives. Download the song for free at RCRDLBL.

The Wye Oak song is from the Adult Swim Singles Series. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his site PodGeek.

Direct download: CompCon_235_070912.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 7:46pm EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Christian Douglass as we talk about the state of the book industry. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from The Corin Tucker Band, The Raveonettes, Stars and The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.

Show notes:

- Recorded in Beverly, Mass.

- In this age of distraction, it's amazing that people read books at all

- Christian: Education system may be to blame for lack of reading

- Fiction is still a valuable commodity

- Jay: Fun to see my kids get into reading

- Christian: Treating reading like a workout

- Multi-tasking all day makes one less inclined to read later

- Authors were once treated like movie stars

- "Fifty Shades of Grey" started as Twilight fan fiction

- Many best-sellers are autobiographies of celebs

- Christian: Historical fiction is exciting

- Working on a new project, a "novel in stories"

- Looking at African-Americans attracted to Russian promise of equality

- Also working on novel about a murder in rural Alaska

- All about plot

- Success comes at the sentence level

- Many parallels to the music industry

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
The Corin Tucker Band - Groundhog Day

The Raveonettes - Observations

Stars - The Theory of Relativity

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Black Mold

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Corin Tucker Band song is from the forthcoming album Kill My Blues on Kill Rock Stars. Download the song for free at Stereogum.

The Raveonettes song is from the band's forthcoming album Observator on Vice Records. Download the song for free at Stereogum.

The Stars song is on the forthcoming album The North on ATO Records. Download the song for free (in exchange for your email address) at StarstheNorth.com.

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion song is from the band's forthcoming album Meat and Bone on Boombox/Mom + Pop. Download the song for free (in exchange for your email address) at Pitchfork.com.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his site PodGeek.

Direct download: CompCon_234_070212.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 10:36pm EDT

Guest Ric Dube and I dig deep and analyze two '70s rock classics. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Redd Kross, Chelsea Light Moving and Cat Power.

Show notes:

- Recorded in Shrewsbury, Mass.

- Check out Ric's podcast More Lost Time

- Digging into Meat Loaf's "Paradise by the Dashboard Lights"

- Irony-free, over-the-top theatrics

- Song is in three parts

- Jay: Remember as a kid thinking it was risque

- Paradise turns out to be hell

- Jim Steinman was known for ridiculously long song titles

- Song goes from rockabilly to disco in the middle, with Phil Rizzuto mixed in

- The debate over third base

- Ellen Foley's odd career

- Third section tries to emulate punk

- The strange allure of Robby Benson

- Meat Loaf's acting career

- Part 2: "Brother Louie" by Stories

- A classic '70s one-hit wonder

- Stories actually had well-known musicians in band

- Louie was whiter than white

- Super catchy chorus

- Ric: This was a "Neapolitan relationship"

- The lesson was about equal opportunity sexing

- Why is the name Louie popular in songs?

- Did Jeff Lynne swipe the ELO string sound from this song?

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Redd Kross - Researching the Blues

Chelsea Light Moving - Burroughs

Cat Power - Ruin

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Redd Kross song is from the forthcoming album Researching the Blues on Merge Records. Download the song for free at Stereogum.

The Chelsea Light Moving song is from the band's forthcoming album on Matador Records. Download the song for free at Stereogum.

The Cat Power song is on the album Sun on Matador Records. Download the song for free at Stereogum

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his site PodGeek.

Direct download: CompCon_233_062512.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 7:36pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with filmmaker Eric Green as we discuss his documentary about V66, the short-lived Boston music video channel. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Mission of Burma, David Byrne and St. Vincent, Metric and Ceremony.

Show notes:

- Recorded in Cambridge, Mass.

- Eric's documentary is called Life on the V

- V66 was on the air from 2/85 to 9/86

- Response to the topic has been great

- Doc is almost finished

- Music docs are in vogue

- Rumors that MTV was keeping an eye on V66

- Eric resisted the classic Behind the Music structure

- V66 was based in Worcester, Mass.; bands would visit before concerts there

- 9-year-old Eric got on the air with a phoned-in joke

- Cable TV was much different in the '80s; still hadn't made it to many rural areas

- Memories of USA Network's Night Flight video show

- Music docs: Stop Making Sense vs. The Last Waltz

- When V66 played Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing" video, they took MTV logo out

- Eric received a lot of fan submissions of V66 videos on VHS tapes

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Mission of Burma - Second Television

David Byrne and St. Vincent - Who

Metric - Artificial Nocturne

Ceremony - I Don't Wanna Be Learned/I Don't Wanna Be Tamed

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Mission of Burma song is from the forthcoming album Unsound on Fire Records. Download the song for free at Rolling Stone.

The David Byrne and St. Vincent song is from the forthcoming album Love This Giant on 4AD. Download the song for free (in exchange for your email address) at Stereogum.

The Metric song is on the album Synthetica on Mom and Pop Records. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The Ceremony song is an unreleased track available for free download at Noisey.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his site PodGeek.

Direct download: CompCon_232_061812.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 8:08pm EDT

Part 1 of my conversation with filmmaker Eric Green as we discuss his documentary about V66, the short-lived Boston music video channel. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from The Walkmen, Beachwood Sparks, King Tuff and Superchunk.

Show notes:

- Recorded in Cambridge, Mass.

- Eric's documentary is called Life on the V

- V66 was on the air from 2/85 to 9/86

- UHF station that reached throughout New England

- Cable still hadn't reached many towns

- There were other music video shows including Friday Night Videos on NBC

- Videos had been around for awhile but didn't catch on until MTV arrived

- V66 introduced a lot of new music, played diverse styles

- We both watched it as kids

- Run DMC's "King of Rock" was most requested song on V66

- Boston bands were given more attention: Del Fuegos, Til Tuesday, New Man

- Ex-radio guy John Garabedian started V66

- Station did non-music programming likes sports, weather

- MTV began adding different programs in late '80s

- Eventually, V66 was sold to Home Shopping Network

- Something like V66 could never happen today

- Eric worked at Fuse, the video station out of NYC

- Began making documentary in 2008; almost done

- Did many interviews with former V66 staff, as well as viewers

- Collected footage from fans

- Talked to musicians inspired by the station

- V66 teamed up with local radio stations on events

- To be continued

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
The Walkmen - Love is Luck

Beachwood Sparks - Sparks Fly Again

King Tuff - Bad Thing

Superchunk - Misfits & Mistakes

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Walkmen song is from the album Heaven on Fat Possum Records. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The Beachwood Sparks song is on the album The Tarnished Gold on Sub Pop. Download the song for free at Sub Pop.

The King Tuff song is on the band's self-titled album on Sub Pop. Download the song for free at Sub Pop.

The Superchunk song is on the EP Leaves in the Gutter on Merge Records. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his site PodGeek.

Direct download: CompCon_231_061112.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 7:10pm EDT

Part 2 of my conversation with special guests Nick Lorenzen and Mike Piantigini as we discuss the death of rock radio. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from The Henry Clay People, Archers of Loaf, Codeine and Los Campesinos.

Show notes:

- Radio now competes with iPods, digital radio, Spotify

- The anticipation factor with new music is gone

- Cell phone video has changed the live experience

- Music has become background noise

- We don't pay attention as closely to new music

- As people get older, some lose that connection to music

- Mike: Music education came from hanging out at college radio station

- Remembering the old Boston rock station WCOZ

- In praise of WFMU

- Nick: Listened to a lot of classic rock on stations like WAAF

- Satellite radio is a factor

- Jay: First listened to CHUM-AM in Toronto, then got into the FM rock stations

- Canadian Content Rule was in effect: Lots of April Wine, Chilliwack, Triumph

- Nick and Mike played in the great rock band Lump

- College radio is still great, especially WMBR, the MIT station

- Only Boston rock stations left are WZLX, WAAF, The River (WXRV)

- Jay: Pretty much listened to WFNX all the time during the '90s

- Younger music fans may not feel the loss of FNX

- Used to be fun to listen to radio in other parts of country

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
The Henry Clay People - Hide

Archers of Loaf - Dead Red Eyes

Codeine - Median (Peel session)

Los Campesinos - Tiptoe Through the True Bits

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Henry Clay People song is from the band's forthcoming album Twenty-Five for the Rest of Our Lives on TBD Records. Download the song for free at Soundcloud.

The Archers of Loaf song is on the reissue of the band's album White Trash Heroes on Merge Records. Download the song for free at Soundcloud.

The Codeine song is a previously unreleased track from a Peel session available on the reissue of Barely Real on Numero Group. Download the song for free from Stereogum.

The Los Campesinos song is a non-album track released by the band for free download from its website.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his site PodGeek.

Direct download: CompCon_230_060512.mp3
Category:Completely Conspicuous -- posted at: 7:39pm EDT